The Delhi Capitals (DC) entered the IPL 2026 auction with a clear strategy to bolster their squad and chase their first-ever IPL title. With a remaining purse of ₹21.8 crore and eight slots to fill, including five for overseas players, DC aimed to add firepower to their top order and strengthen their pace attack.
Retained Players:
DC retained a core group of 17 players, including captain Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mitchell Starc. Other retained players include Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel, Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, Karun Nair, Mukesh Kumar, T. Natarajan, Dushmantha Chameera, Ajay Mandal, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, and Tripurana Vijay.
Auction Acquisitions:
Details on specific players acquired during the auction are currently unavailable, but DC was reportedly targeting overseas batting partners for KL Rahul, a supporting bowler for Mitchell Starc, and a strong middle-order option. The team was looking to add an explosive opener and depth to their pace attack, particularly at the death.
Released Players:
Prior to the auction, Delhi Capitals released several players, including Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser McGurk, Mohit Sharma, and others.
Full Squad (as of December 16, 2025):
- Axar Patel (c)
- KL Rahul
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mitchell Starc
- Tristan Stubbs
- Abhishek Porel
- Ashutosh Sharma
- Sameer Rizvi
- Karun Nair
- Mukesh Kumar
- T. Natarajan
- Dushmantha Chameera
- Ajay Mandal
- Vipraj Nigam
- Madhav Tiwari
- Tripurana Vijay
Remaining Needs:
With the auction concluded, DC will be assessing their squad to identify any remaining gaps. The focus will likely be on securing a reliable opening partner for KL Rahul and adding depth to their bowling attack.
The Delhi Capitals are aiming to build a strong and balanced squad for IPL 2026, with the ultimate goal of winning their first title.
