Delhi Capitals (DC) finished fifth in the IPL 2025 points table, narrowly missing out on a playoff spot. They started the season strongly, driven by impactful performances from KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Vipraj Nigam, and Mitchell Starc. However, their momentum gradually faded as injuries to key players disrupted team balance and halted their progress during the crucial middle phase of the tournament.
Historically, DC have endured an inconsistent run in the league. They finished at the bottom of the table for four seasons and reached the final only once, in IPL 2020, where they fell short against the Mumbai Indians (MI). Despite often assembling a formidable squad, the Delhi-based franchise have struggled to maintain consistency and tend to lose steam midway through campaigns.
Ahead of IPL 2026, Delhi Capitals have made notable changes to their squad composition. They brought in Nitish Rana from Rajasthan Royals, adding a reliable middle-order option and welcoming a hometown player back into the fold. As part of the trade, they released Donovan Ferreira to the Rajasthan Royals. With these adjustments, DC will now focus on fine-tuning their squad at the upcoming mini-auction and strive to mount a stronger title challenge, aiming to lift their maiden IPL trophy in the 2026 season.
Delhi Capitals (DC) IPL 2026 Retained Player List
| Player | Role | Price (INR) |
| Axar Patel (Captain) | All-Rounder | 16.50 crore |
| KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper-Batter | 14 crore |
| Mitchell Starc | Bowler | 11.75 crore |
| Vipraj Nigam | All-Rounder | 50 lakh |
| Tristan Stubbs | Wicketkeeper-Batter | 10 crore |
| Ashutosh Sharma | Batter | 3.80 crore |
| Mukesh Kumar | Bowler | 8 crore |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler | 13.25 crore |
| T Natarajan | Bowler | 10.75 crore |
| Abishek Porel | Wicketkeeper-Batter | 4 crore |
| Madhav Tiwari | All-Rounder | 40 lakh |
| Tripurana Vijay | All-Rounder | 30 lakh |
| Sameer Rizvi | All-Rounder | 95 lakh |
| Karun Nair | Batter | 50 lakh |
| Ajay Mandal | All-Rounder | 30 lakh |
| Dushmantha Chameera | Bowler | 75 lakh |
Delhi Capitals (DC) IPL 2026 Released Player List
| Player | Role | Price (INR) |
| Donovan Ferriera (Trade) | Wicketkeeper/All-Rounder | 1 crore |
| Faf du Plessis | Batter | 2 crore |
| Jake Fraser-McGurk | Batter | 9 crore |
| Sediqullah Atal | Batter | 75 lakh |
| Manvanth Kumar | All-Rounder | 30 lakh |
| Mohit Sharma | Bowler | 2.20 crore |
| Darshan Nalkande | All-Rounder | 30 lakh |
Delhi Capitals (DC) IPL 2026 Traded Player List
| Player | Role | Traded From | Traded To | Price (INR) |
| Donovan Ferriera | Wicketkeeper/All-rounder | Delhi Capitals | Rajasthan Royals | 1 crore |
| Nitish Rana | Batter | Rajasthan Royals | Delhi Capitals | 4.2 crore |
Delhi Capitals (DC) IPL 2026 Remaining Purse
21.8 crore
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