Delhi Capitals IPL 2026 Squad

About Delhi Capitals

Captain	Axar Patel
Coach	Hemang Badani
Home Ground	Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
IPL Titles	0
Founded	2008
Owners	JSW Sports & GMR Group

Delhi Capitals – originally known as Delhi Daredevils – are one of the original eight IPL franchises and represent India’s capital city.
Jointly owned by JSW Sports and the GMR Group, DC have invested heavily in squad development over the years but remain the most prominent of the title-less original franchises.
Despite an exceptional runner-up finish in 2020 and consistently producing India internationals, the title has eluded them.

A major rebranding from Delhi Daredevils to Delhi Capitals in 2019 coincided with a significant improvement in form – they made the final in 2020 and the playoffs in 2021.
The franchise has produced some of India’s finest modern players including Rishabh Pant (now at LSG), Shikhar Dhawan, and Virender Sehwag, and continues to take pride in identifying and developing young talent from the Delhi domestic circuit.

IPL 2026 Season Preview

Axar Patel takes over as captain for 2026, leading a squad that has been significantly rebuilt.
KL Rahul returns behind the stumps, but the late withdrawal of England’s Ben Duckett comes as a blow.
Kuldeep Yadav – one of the most dangerous left-arm wrist spinners in white-ball cricket – remains the centrepiece of the bowling attack, but the availability of pace spearhead Mitchell Starc for the first couple of weeks is a big worry for DC.

Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka provides additional batting depth, while South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs brings power-hitting in the lower middle order.
Kevin Pietersen, who had been linked with a mentoring role at DC, confirmed he will not be involved this season.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium’s slow pitch and the team’s spin assets make DC a difficult side to beat at home.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: The Axar Patel–Kuldeep Yadav spin pairing is arguably the best in the league — both bowl long spells, both take wickets, and together they can strangle any batting lineup through the middle overs. Finishing power in the lower order: David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, and Ashutosh Sharma give DC the firepower to chase down totals late. The Arun Jaitley Stadium’s slow surface is perfectly suited to their spin-heavy attack, making DC extremely difficult to beat at home.

Weaknesses: The unavailability of Mitchell Starc for the first few games leaves the pace unit looking significantly less threatening. Top-order pressure: Following Duckett’s withdrawal, there will be pressure on KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka to make an impact in the Powerplay while consistently scoring runs. Despite assembling talented squads for several consecutive seasons, DC have repeatedly underperformed against their potential — a psychological pattern that has yet to be broken.

Delhi Capitals History

Delhi Daredevils were one of the original 2008 franchises, purchased by the GMR Group.
Their early seasons showed potential – semi-final appearances in each of their first two years (2008 and 2009) – but they were unable to sustain that form and spent much of the 2013–2018 period languishing near the bottom of the table.
The rebranding to Delhi Capitals in 2019 proved to be a genuine turning point in culture and performance.

Under Ricky Ponting’s coaching and Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, DC reached the final in 2020, defeating their opponents across the season with clinical all-round performances.
Their Arun Jaitley Stadium home record remains one of the poorest among founding franchises – they equalled RCB’s record for home losses – but their away record in that 2020 campaign showed what this squad is capable of when fully firing.
Despite their talent pool, a playoff exit in 2021 was followed by four consecutive group stage failures in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Highs & Lows

Highs: Runner-up in 2020 – their best-ever season. Producing India internationals including Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virender Sehwag. Kuldeep Yadav’s consistent IPL performances as one of the best T20 spinners in the world.

Lows: No IPL title in 18 seasons. Multiple bottom-half finishes between 2013 and 2018. Equalling RCB’s record for most home defeats at one venue. Failing to build on the 2020 final appearance.

Key Players to Watch – IPL 2026

• Axar Patel – DC’s captain and a genuine match-winner with both bat and ball. His left-arm spin is among the most economical in the IPL, and his ability to score crucial runs at 150+ strike rate in the middle order makes him one of the most complete all-rounders in the competition.
• Kuldeep Yadav – India’s premier left-arm wrist spinner. On Delhi’s slow, turning surfaces, Kuldeep can be virtually unplayable. His ability to take wickets in clusters makes him DC’s primary match-winner and the bowler opponents fear most.
• KL Rahul – An elegant top-order batter and reliable wicketkeeper. Rahul’s experience, temperament, and ability to anchor an innings while scoring at a healthy rate gives DC a composed nucleus around which the rest of the batting can be built.
• Mitchell Starc – Australia’s left-arm express. Starc’s ability to swing the new ball and take wickets in the powerplay is rare in T20 cricket – most pace bowlers work better at death. His presence gives DC a distinct powerplay edge that few other teams can match.

Season by Season Record

Season	Matches	Wins	Win %	Finish
2008	14	7	50.0	Semi-final
2009	14	7	50.0	Semi-final
2010	14	6	42.9	Group Stage
2011	14	7	50.0	Group Stage
2012	16	5	31.3	Playoffs
2013	16	6	37.5	Group Stage
2014	14	5	35.7	Group Stage
2015	14	7	50.0	Group Stage
2016	14	4	28.6	Group Stage
2017	14	6	42.9	Group Stage
2018	14	6	42.9	Group Stage
2019	14	8	57.1	Semi-final
2020	16	11	68.8	Runner-up
2021	14	9	64.3	Playoffs
2022	14	7	50.0	Group Stage
2023	14	5	35.7	Group Stage
2024	14	6	42.9	Group Stage
2025	14	7	50.0	Group Stage

Who is the Delhi Capitals captain in IPL 2026?

Axar Patel is the captain of Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026. Axar Patel was retained to continue his steady guidance and tactical leadership. Delhi Capitals are yet to win an IPL championship.

What is the Delhi Capitals IPL 2026 squad?

Delhi Capitals IPL 2026 squad: Axar Patel (captain), KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Prithvi Shaw, Sameer Rizvi. Key overseas players include Mitchell Starc, Tristan Stubbs, and David Miller. Delhi Capitals retained 4 players and signed Auqib Dar for ₹8.40 crore.

How many titles has Delhi Capitals won in IPL?

Delhi Capitals has won 0 IPL titles: none. They are yet to win an IPL title, but remain one of the most competitive franchises in IPL history.

Which overseas players are in Delhi Capitals’s IPL 2026 squad?

Delhi Capitals overseas players in IPL 2026: Mitchell Starc (Australia, Bowler), Tristan Stubbs (South Africa, Batter), David Miller (South Africa, Batter), Dushmantha Chameera (Sri Lanka, Bowler), up to 8 overseas players per squad with max 4 in playing XI.