Delhi Capitals had a great start to their campaign last season as they won five out of their first seven games. However, they managed just two wins in their last seven games. The team finished in fifth place and missed qualifying for the playoffs. They need to improve a lot for IPL 2026.
The mini auction is coming in December 2025. DC must decide which players to keep and which to release. The management has made some brave decisions. They will keep 11 players who can form a strong team for the future.
Important Note: These retentions are predictions based on player performance. Nothing is officially announced yet.
DC Retained Players for IPL 2026 (Predicted)
These players are expected to stay in the DC squad for IPL 2026.
| Player Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Axar Patel (Captain) | All-Rounder |
| KL Rahul | Wicket-Keeper Batter |
| Tristan Stubbs | Batter |
| Abishek Porel | Wicket-Keeper Batter |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler |
| Jake Fraser-McGurk | Batter |
| Mitchell Starc | Bowler |
| Sameer Rizvi | Batter |
| Ashutosh Sharma | Batter |
| Manvanth Kumar | Bowler |
| Darshan Nalkande | Bowler |
1. Axar Patel (Captain & All-Rounder)
Axar Patel is the captain of the Delhi Capitals. He is a very good all-rounder who can bat and bowl spin. Axar is the backbone of the DC team and does many important jobs.
Axar bowls left-arm spin and is very hard to hit. He controls the middle overs and doesn’t give away many runs. With the bat, he can hit big shots when needed. As captain, he makes smart decisions on the field.
Why keep him? Best all-rounder in the team. A great captain who leads from the front.
2. KL Rahul (Wicket-Keeper Batter)
KL Rahul is one of the most experienced batters in IPL. He can open the batting or bat in the middle order. Rahul is also a wicketkeeper, which makes him very valuable.
Rahul has played for Team India many times. He knows how to build an innings and score big runs. His experience helps young players learn. DC needs his stability at the top of the order.
Why keep him? Experienced top-order batter and wicketkeeper. Very reliable player.
3. Tristan Stubbs (Batter)
Tristan Stubbs is a powerful batter from South Africa. He bats in the middle order and can hit huge sixes. Stubbs is very good at finishing matches when the team needs quick runs.
Stubbs is young but has shown great talent. He can play fast bowling and spin bowling equally well. DC believes he will become one of the best middle-order batters in the IPL.
Why keep him? Strong middle-order batter. Excellent finisher who wins tight matches.
4. Abishek Porel (Wicketkeeper-Batter)
Abishek Porel is a young Indian wicket-keeper batter. He plays with lots of energy and can hit the ball hard. Porel is very quick behind the stumps and rarely drops catches.
Young wicketkeepers like Porel are very important for the future. He can open the batting or bat lower down. DC is giving him chances to grow and become a star player.
Why keep him? Young wicketkeeper with great potential. Aggressive batter who scores fast.
5. Kuldeep Yadav (Bowler)
Kuldeep Yadav is one of the best spin bowlers in India. He bowls left-arm wrist spin, which is very rare and difficult to play. Kuldeep takes wickets in the middle overs when batters try to attack.
Kuldeep has played many matches for Team India. He knows all the tricks to fool batters. His wicket-taking ability is priceless for DC. Good spinners are hard to find.
Why keep him? World-class spinner who takes important wickets. Very experienced bowler.
6. Jake Fraser-McGurk (Batter)
DC signed Jake Fraser-McGurk in the IPL 2025 auction for a price of INR 9 crore. The team used the Right to Match card for Fraser-McGurk. The Australian batter made his IPL debut in 2024 and scored 330 runs at a strike rate of 234.04.
He couldn’t replicate his performance in 2025 and scored just 55 runs in six games. However, the team might give him another chance to show his skills.
Why keep him? Young Australian batter who can score runs at a brisk rate.
7. Mitchell Starc (Bowler)
Mitchell Starc is a superstar fast bowler from Australia. He can bowl very fast and swing the new ball. Starc is one of the most feared bowlers in world cricket.
Starc takes wickets with the new ball in the powerplay. He can also bowl yorkers in the death overs. Having Starc in the team makes DC’s bowling very strong. He is expensive but worth every penny.
Why keep him? World-class fast bowler. Takes wickets and bowls at high speed.
8. Sameer Rizvi (Batter)
Sameer Rizvi is a young Indian batter with big talent. He can hit powerful shots and plays with confidence. Rizvi has shown good skills in domestic cricket and got his IPL chance.
Young Indian batters are the future of any team. Rizvi doesn’t take a foreign player spot and costs less money. DC wants to develop him into a match-winner.
Why keep him? Talented young Indian batter. Has big-hitting ability and confidence.
9. Ashutosh Sharma (Batter)
Ashutosh Sharma is another promising young Indian batter. He plays aggressively and can score runs quickly. Sharma has impressed everyone with his fearless batting style.
DC is building a team for the future. Sharma is part of that plan. He can bat anywhere in the order and is learning from experienced players.
Why keep him? Young aggressive batter. Fearless player who can change the game.
10. Manvanth Kumar (Bowler)
Manvanth Kumar is a young Indian fast bowler. He bowls with good pace and can take wickets. Kumar is still learning but has shown great potential.
Having young Indian fast bowlers is very important. They give depth to the bowling and don’t take foreign spots. DC believes Kumar will become better with more experience.
Why keep him? Young Indian fast bowler with potential. Good backup bowling option.
11. Darshan Nalkande (Bowler)
Darshan Nalkande is an Indian medium-fast bowler. He can bowl in any situation and is very consistent. Nalkande doesn’t give away many runs and bowls smart line and length.
Consistency is very important in T20 cricket. Nalkande gives DC a reliable bowling option. He may not be the fastest, but he gets the job done.
Why keep him? Consistent medium-fast bowler. Reliable and doesn’t give easy runs.
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Conclusion: DC Is Ready To Challenge For The Trophy
After an average 2025 season, DC is making smart decisions for IPL 2026. They will keep 11 players who can form a winning combination.
Axar Patel leads the team with his all-round skills. KL Rahul brings experience and stability. Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav make the bowling strong. Tristan Stubbs gives power in the middle order. Young stars like Abishek Porel, Sameer Rizvi, and Ashutosh Sharma are the future.
With these 11 players as the base, DC can buy more talent at the December auction. If they choose wisely and add the right players, Delhi Capitals can finally win their first IPL trophy in 2026. The wait might finally be over!
FAQs
DC wants to keep only their best and most reliable players. These 11 players either performed well in 2025 or have huge potential for the future. By keeping fewer players, DC will have more money at the auction. They can buy star players to fill the gaps and build a complete winning team.
Axar Patel is a good captain and excellent all-rounder. Even though DC finished mid-table in 2025, the management trusts him. Axar is still learning as a captain. With better players around him and more experience, he can lead DC to success in 2026.
Mitchell Starc is one of the best fast bowlers in the world. He takes wickets with the new ball and can bowl yorkers in death overs. World-class bowlers like Starc are very rare. His impact on the team is bigger than his salary. DC cannot afford to lose him.
Young Indian players are the backbone of successful IPL teams. They don’t take foreign player spots, so DC can play more overseas stars. They cost less money than experienced players. Most importantly, youngsters like Rizvi and Sharma have hunger and energy. They can play for DC for 10-15 years and become future superstars.
DC has a decent balance but not perfect. They have good bowlers like Starc, Kuldeep, and Mustafizur. They have quality batters like KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs. Axar Patel gives all-round strength. But DC needs more middle-order batters and one more quality spinner. They must buy smartly at the auction to complete the team and challenge for the trophy.
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