The Delhi Capitals began their previous season by winning multiple consecutive matches. The team lost the capacity to make it to the playoffs after they failed to sustain their early season success. The entire season became an average experience for the team. The management team decided to release multiple players from their roster after the season ended, which included Mohit Sharma, Darshan Nalkande, Faf du Plessis, and Jake Fraser-McGurk.

 

The DC team made important player acquisitions during the IPL 2026 auction. The team acquired Auqib Nabi for ₹8 crore and Venkatesh Iyer for ₹7 crore while bringing back Prithvi Shaw and Sri Lankan batter Pathum Nissanka. The coaching staff of Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao will attempt to improve the team's performance throughout the season because they observe known team strengths and weaknesses.

 

DC’s batting unit possesses strength which deserves an evaluation score of 8.5 out of 10. The team has a balanced mix of international stars and Indian talent. Ashutosh Sharma played the finisher’s role effectively last season, scoring 204 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 160. KL Rahul also impressed with 539 runs in IPL 2025, averaging above 53.

 

Prithvi Shaw returns to the squad with a point to prove after a challenging phase. He brings back his past experience from playing with DC to the team. The team lineup contains dependable players such as Nitish Rana and Abhishek Porel.

 

Axar Patel has developed into one of the top T20 all-rounders who brings value to both the Indian cricket team and Delhi Capitals. In the previous season he scored more than 250 runs and took five wickets. He played an important part in India’s T20 World Cup victory. Vipraj Nigam provides lower-order support through his hitting skills while Kyle Jamieson maintains team equilibrium through his bowling and batting abilities.

 

The team can choose from multiple bowling options who can take wickets. Kuldeep Yadav achieved a successful 2025 season by taking 15 wickets while maintaining an impressive 7.07 economy rate. The partnership between Auqib Nabi and Axar Patel will become essential because Auqib needs to bowl regularly to succeed. Auqib Nabi is an exciting player who showed his skills by leading the Ranji Trophy 2025–26 wicket charts with 60 wickets.

 

The Australian pacer was retained by DC for ₹11.75 crore which results in his absence from upcoming matches because his return date remains undetermined. The bowling unit faces increased pressure. The team has Dushmantha Chameera available but they find it difficult to replace Starc who possesses exceptional skills.Starc took 14 wickets last season.

 

DC has built a powerful overseas player roster but their matchday lineup limits them to four active players. The selection process will be difficult because the team must choose one player from Chameera Starc Stubbs Miller Nissanka Ngidi and Jamieson. Ben Duckett has already pulled out of the tournament and the team will hope to avoid another overseas replacement.

 

Starc has recorded a IPL death-over economy rate of approximately 9 during his career. Chameera has a 12 performance record while Natarajan has 10.38 and Ngidi has 10.16 and Jamieson has 14.67 which shows lower effectiveness. The teams will face a critical challenge during essential moments of matches.

 

DC have the potential to win the title if they address their weaknesses. Prithvi Shaw has a big opportunity to revive his career and lead from the front. Abhishek Porel and Ashutosh Sharma now have enough experience to deliver impactful performances. Axar Patel will also try to win his first IPL championship as he expands his record as captain. DC have come close to winning the championship multiple times but they still need to secure their first title victory.

 

The DC baseball team appears to be a strong title contender but their first IPL trophy pursuit creates additional pressure because of their high expectations. The players not in the starting lineup need to demonstrate their skills to claim available team positions. The players who perform in the IPL matches will not receive automatic selection for the team but their performances will still carry important weight. 

 

Read also: 'I Will Tell Dhoni': Sourav Ganguly’s Blunt Reply on MS Dhoni's IPL Retirement Talk

 

The DC baseball team shows a tendency to lose its momentum after achieving strong starts. The team won five consecutive matches but then lost four out of five matches with one match resulting in no decision.

 

DC full squad:

 

Nitish Rana, Abishek Porel, Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, David Miller, Ben Duckett, Auqib Nabi, Pathum Nissanka, Lungi Ngidi, Sahil Parakh, Prithvi Shaw, Kyle Jamieson

 

Strongest Playing XI Delhi Capitals:

 

S. No. Player

1	KL Rahul
2	Pathum Nissanka
3	Nitish Rana
4	Tristan Stubbs
5	David Miller
6	Ashutosh Sharma
7	Axar Patel
8	Vipraj Nigam
9	Auqib Nabi
10	Kuldeep Yadav
11	Lungi Ngidi
12 (Impact Sub)	Sameer Rizvi