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Delhi Capitals Squad 2026: Full Player List, Captain & Team Profile

Delhi Capitals enter IPL 2026 with a refreshed identity and a bold leadership call as Axar Patel takes over as captain. Backed by head coach Hemang Badani, the franchise looks set to build a strong core around experienced Indian talent and high-impact overseas stars. With KL Rahul, David Miller, Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav in the mix, this squad has genuine match-winners in every department.

Batting depth has been a key focus, with multiple top-order options like Prithvi Shaw, Pathum Nissanka and Nitish Rana competing for spots. The middle order carries finishing power through David Miller, Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma, while Axar Patel provides balance at No. 6/7. The bowling unit is spearheaded by world-class left-arm pair Mitchell Starc and T Natarajan, supported by Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist spin.

For fans tracking the full tournament journey and daily updates, the complete IPL schedule today will help you follow every Delhi Capitals fixture, timings and venues through IPL 2026.

Delhi Capitals 2026 Upcoming Matches

Delhi Capitals begin their IPL 2026 campaign with a challenging away fixture in Lucknow before returning to Delhi for a high-voltage clash against Mumbai Indians. Below are all confirmed league-stage fixtures featuring DC from the official opening leg of IPL 2026.

For the full tournament matrix, knockouts and daily timing details, you can also track the complete IPL matches schedule 2026 from the homepage.

Quick Facts: Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026

For role-wise details, stats and profiles of every squad member, visit Delhi Capitals Players.

Squad Breakdown

Delhi Capitals have assembled a versatile squad for IPL 2026, blending experienced Indian regulars with powerful overseas specialists. The top order has multiple right-left combinations, the middle order has proven finishers and the bowling attack is stacked with left-arm pace, high pace and quality spin. Axar Patel’s captaincy, along with the presence of senior leaders like KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav, gives the group a settled core.

Batters

• Karun Nair – Technically solid top-order batter, ideal as an anchor who can control the tempo in tricky chases.
• Nitish Rana – Left-handed middle-order option, plays spin well and can accelerate through the middle overs.
• Sameer Rizvi – Aggressive young batter with six-hitting range, useful as a lower middle-order finisher.
• Prithvi Shaw – Explosive opener who attacks from ball one and can change games in the powerplay.
• David Miller – Experienced finisher, renowned for closing out chases and clearing the ropes in the death overs.
• Ben Duckett – Busy top-order batter, strong against spin, ideal in rotating strike on slow Delhi pitches.
• Pathum Nissanka – Compact Sri Lankan opener who provides stability and builds innings around him.
• Ashutosh Sharma – Hard-hitting domestic batter, suited to high-impact cameos at No. 5/6.
• Tripurana Vijay – Flexible middle-order batter who can rebuild after early wickets or push the scoring rate.

Wicket-keepers (WK-Batter)

• KL Rahul – Senior top-order wicket-keeper batter, offers calmness, adaptability and leadership experience.
• Tristan Stubbs – Power-hitting keeper-batter, ideal for No. 5/6 with the ability to attack pace and spin.
• Abishek Porel – Left-handed keeper option, brings balance to the line-up and can float in the order.

All-Rounders

• Axar Patel – Captain and key all-rounder; accurate left-arm spin with crucial runs at No. 6/7.
• Ajay Jadav Mandal – Spin-bowling all-rounder, adds depth in lower order and control in middle overs.
• Madhav Tiwari – Batting all-rounder capable of bowling useful overs, a squad option for flexible balance.
• Auqib Nabi Dar – Seam-bowling all-rounder, offers new-ball overs and hitting down the order.

Bowlers

• Kuldeep Yadav – Premier left-arm wrist spinner, genuine wicket-taker in the middle overs.
• Mukesh Kumar – Right-arm seamer, strong at hitting hard lengths and controlling scoring at the death.
• T Natarajan – Left-arm pace specialist with pinpoint yorkers, critical in powerplay and slog overs.
• Vipraj Nigam – Domestic pace option, adds depth and rotation to the fast-bowling group.
• Mitchell Starc – World-class left-arm quick; brings high pace, new-ball swing and intimidation factor.
• Lungi Ngidi – Hit-the-deck seamer, effective on bouncy or tacky surfaces with change of pace.
• Kyle Jamieson – Tall seamer who extracts extra bounce and contributes handy lower-order runs.
• Dushmantha Chameera – Skiddy Sri Lankan quick, sharp with the new ball and dangerous at high pace.
• Sahil Parakh – Young bowling option, likely to be used as depth and in specific match-up scenarios.

Home Stadium – The Fortress

Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi continues as the home base for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026. Traditionally, the pitch here offers a mix of low bounce and grip, bringing spinners and clever change-of-pace bowlers into play, especially as the season progresses. Scores in the 160–180 range are often competitive, making game awareness and smart rotation of strike as important as outright power hitting.

For Delhi Capitals, this suits their core perfectly. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel can squeeze teams in the middle overs, while Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan and Mukesh Kumar handle the powerplay and death. The shorter straight boundaries reward clean striking from players like Prithvi Shaw, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs. With a passionate Delhi crowd behind them and conditions tailored to their strengths, DC will back themselves to turn their home ground into a genuine fortress in IPL 2026.

Season Outlook

Delhi Capitals look well-balanced on paper for IPL 2026, with strong Indian spin options, a high-quality pace attack and a versatile batting order. The presence of multiple left-handers, powerful finishers and all-rounders allows flexible team combinations depending on opposition and venue. If Prithvi Shaw and KL Rahul can give consistent starts and the middle order fires around Axar Patel, DC should consistently post or chase competitive totals.

The big positives are the presence of Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav as strike bowlers, along with T Natarajan’s death-overs skill. The key question will be managing injuries, overseas combinations and ensuring middle-order stability across a long season. A realistic expectation for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026 would be a strong push for the playoffs, with the potential to go deeper into the tournament if their senior core stays fit and the younger domestic players take their chances early in the league stage.