Delhi Capitals (DC) boasted a balanced squad for the 2026 Indian Premier League season, with experienced international stars alongside some exciting young Indian players. And in the past few seasons, the franchise has concentrated on building a solid core roster that can compete regularly enough in the tournament.
And while they are yet to win their maiden IPL title, the Delhi Capitals have been among the most successful teams in recent years. In 2020, the franchise reached the IPL final and provided some terrific performances since then.
Delhi Capitals, with their captain at the helm and the strategising input from their coaching staff, look to have a solid tournament in IPL 2026 and pave the way for their first championship.
DC Team Full Overview
| Category | Details |
| Captain | Rishabh Pant |
| Head Coach | Ricky Ponting |
| Home Ground | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| IPL Titles | 0 |
| Owner | GMR Group & JSW Group |
| Established | 2008 |
| Former Name | Delhi Daredevils (2008–2018) |
| Website | https://www.delhicapitals.in/ |
Delhi Capitals have transformed significantly since their rebranding from Delhi Daredevils in 2019. The team has focused on aggressive batting, strong pace bowling, and developing young Indian talent to build a competitive squad for the IPL.
DC Squad 2026 | Delhi Capitals Players
Below is the updated Delhi Capitals squad for IPL 2026 based on player retentions and auction selections.
| S.No | Player Name | Role | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rishabh Pant | WK-Batter (C) | ₹16.00 Cr |
| 2 | David Warner | Batter | ₹6.25 Cr |
| 3 | Prithvi Shaw | Batter | ₹7.50 Cr |
| 4 | Yash Dhull | Batter | ₹50 L |
| 5 | Harry Brook | Batter | ₹4.00 Cr |
| 6 | Tristan Stubbs | WK-Batter | ₹50 L |
| 7 | Axar Patel | All-rounder | ₹12.00 Cr |
| 8 | Mitchell Marsh | All-rounder | ₹6.50 Cr |
| 9 | Lalit Yadav | All-rounder | ₹65 L |
| 10 | Sumit Kumar | All-rounder | ₹1.00 Cr |
| 11 | Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler | ₹8.00 Cr |
| 12 | Anrich Nortje | Bowler | ₹6.50 Cr |
| 13 | Khaleel Ahmed | Bowler | ₹5.25 Cr |
| 14 | Mukesh Kumar | Bowler | ₹5.50 Cr |
| 15 | Ishant Sharma | Bowler | ₹50 L |
| 16 | Lungi Ngidi | Bowler | ₹50 L |
| 17 | Chetan Sakariya | Bowler | ₹4.20 Cr |
| 18 | Vicky Ostwal | Bowler | ₹20 L |
| 19 | Praveen Dubey | Bowler | ₹50 L |
| 20 | Rasikh Dar | Bowler | ₹20 L |
The 2026 squad reflects Delhi Capitals’ strategy of maintaining a powerful batting lineup combined with a strong pace attack and reliable spin options. Players like Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel provide balance to the bowling unit, especially in spin-friendly conditions.
DC Released Players 2026
Before IPL 2026, Delhi Capitals released several players during the retention and auction process to rebuild their squad and create opportunities for new talent.
| No. | Player Name | Country | Notes |
| 1 | Faf du Plessis | South Africa | Released before auction |
| 2 | Jake Fraser-McGurk | Australia | Released |
| 3 | Donovan Ferreira | South Africa | Traded to Rajasthan Royals |
| 4 | Sediqullah Atal | Afghanistan | Released |
| 5 | Manvanth Kumar | India | Released |
| 6 | Mohit Sharma | India | Released |
| 7 | Darshan Nalkande | India | Released |
These changes allowed the franchise to strengthen its squad and focus on building a more balanced team for the upcoming season.
Delhi Capitals – Full Updated History from 2008 to 2025
Delhi Capitals started their Indian Premier League journey in 2008 under the name Delhi Daredevils. The semi-finals were the furthest they would reach for some time, as the team’s star players began to emerge in the early years of the league.
Yet while the franchise was blessed with formidable rosters, it failed to translate that into titles. The franchise underwent a few rebuilding stints before changing its name to Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2019 season.
Well, since then the franchise has grown far more competitive and challenged the league’s best consistently.
Rise, Dominance & Early Heartbreaks
Delhi had a bright start in the IPL. In the 2008 and 2009 season the team reached the semi-finals, boasting a strong squad with international stars.
Despite impressive showings, Delhi never managed to lift the trophy in those early seasons. Annoyances from regular play when knockout matches ended in narrow losses.
These were years when the team’s promise was evident but also in need of more squad stability and leadership.
Thrillers, Comebacks & Ups and Downs
After a stretch of underachievement from 2013 to 2018, the franchise has gone through a major overhaul. Holding true to the principles that they wanted this team management to work on, a few players had fallen short of expectations and needed replacing.
The change to Delhi Capitals was a watershed moment for the franchise. The team reached its first IPL final in 2020, with dominant performances through the tournament.
Days after they finished second on the final day of league action, DelhiUnited’s successful season was a message to all home teams that one single handedly turned around this league.
2025 Season – Full Overview
Delhi Capitals had a mixed bag in 2025 IPL season. And while the team had its moments, consistency eluded it in the tournament.
There were some tight matches and the team recorded a few notable wins during the season. But with both batting and bowling failing to click in tandem, they ended up not taking the top playoff positions.
However, notwithstanding the ups and downs it was an excellent learning curve for the team that would stand them in good stead ahead of the IPL seasons to come.
1. Leadership Changes
In the 2025 season, Rishabh Pant retained captaincy for Delhi Capitals. His match-winning batting performances coupled with aggressive leadership helped his side win matches.
Prithvi Shaw, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh banded together to offer stability at crucial junctures of the innings.
2. Performance Breakdown
Delhi Capitals had a lot going against them in 2025:
- Inconsistent middle-order batting performances
- Heavy reliance on few key players for runs
- Occasional struggles in death-over bowling
- Team balance issues in some matches due to injuries
Even with that, it was difficult for the group to string together momentum week after week.
3. Key Performers
Throughout the season, a few players in particular shined for Delhi Capitals.
- He played several match-winning innings and captained the team admirably.
- Kuldeep Yadav had picked wickets in bulk and was one of the leading wicket-takers.
- One of the best all-rounders to help India’s cause was Axar Patel, who made contributions with both bat and ball.
- Younger talents also rose to the occasion in difficult moments.
Such performances gave fans hope of better results in future seasons.
4. Finishing the Season
Despite their fate, Delhi Capitals put up a spirited fight back in their last two games. They had robust batting performances propelling them and a discipline in their bowling that was noticeably improved.
While the team did not qualify for the playoffs, their last few matches proved that this squad has much more to offer in IPL next season.
Updated DC Performance Table (Including 2025)
| Season | Matches | Wins | Losses | Final Standing | Top Run Scorer | Top Wicket Taker |
| 2008 | 14 | 7 | 7 | Semi-finalist | Gautam Gambhir | Farveez Maharoof |
| 2009 | 15 | 10 | 5 | Semi-finalist | AB de Villiers | Ashish Nehra |
| 2012 | 16 | 11 | 5 | Playoffs | Virender Sehwag | Morne Morkel |
| 2019 | 16 | 9 | 7 | Playoffs | Shreyas Iyer | Kagiso Rabada |
| 2020 | 17 | 9 | 8 | Runners-up | Shikhar Dhawan | Kagiso Rabada |
| 2021 | 16 | 10 | 6 | Playoffs | Shikhar Dhawan | Avesh Khan |
| 2023 | 14 | 5 | 9 | League Stage | David Warner | Kuldeep Yadav |
| 2025 | 14 | 6 | 8 | League Stage | Rishabh Pant | Kuldeep Yadav |
FAQs about Delhi Capitals
Q1. Has Delhi Capitals ever won the IPL?
No, Delhi Capitals have not yet won the IPL trophy. Their best performance came in 2020 when they finished as runners-up.
Q2. Who is the captain of Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026?
Rishabh Pant is expected to continue as the captain of Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026.
Q3. What is the home stadium of Delhi Capitals?
Delhi Capitals play their home matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Q4. When did Delhi Daredevils change their name?
The franchise changed its name from Delhi Daredevils to Delhi Capitals in 2019.
Q5. Who are the most famous players in Delhi Capitals history?
Some of the most notable players include Virender Sehwag, AB de Villiers, Shreyas Iyer, Kagiso Rabada, Rishabh Pant, and David Warner.
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