Key takeaways
- DC finished 6th in 2026 with seven wins and seven losses and missed the playoffs.
- KL Rahul led the batting with 593 runs; Lungi Ngidi led the wickets with 13.
- Since the season, Delhi have traded Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow for Rishabh Pant and T Natarajan to Hyderabad for Zeeshan Ansari.
- This guide uses the 2026 squad plus those trades; we will update it after retentions on 17 November and the December auction.
DC at a glance
| Captain (2026) | Axar Patel |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Sourav Ganguly (from 2027; replaced Hemang Badani) |
| Home ground | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| IPL titles | None — runners-up in 2020 |
| 2026 league stage | 6th — 7 wins, 7 losses, 14 points |
| 2026 top run-scorer | KL Rahul, 593 |
| 2026 top wicket-taker | Lungi Ngidi, 13 |
The 2026 season in brief
Delhi kept most of their 2025 core, brought in Nitish Rana from Rajasthan for Donovan Ferreira, and added David Miller, Pathum Nissanka, Kyle Jamieson and Lungi Ngidi at the auction. They were never far from the top four but finished sixth with seven wins and a negative net run rate.
The home pitch was unpredictable: one Delhi game produced more than 500 runs, and in another the Capitals were bowled out for 75 at home.
Squad by role (2026)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Pathum Nissanka (overseas), Tristan Stubbs (overseas), Abhishek Porel, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, Madhav Tiwari, Tripurana Vijay |
| Wicket-keeper | KL Rahul |
| All-rounders | Axar Patel (c), David Miller (overseas), Auqib Nabi |
| Pace bowlers | Mitchell Starc (overseas), Lungi Ngidi (overseas), Dushmantha Chameera (overseas), Kyle Jamieson (overseas), Mukesh Kumar |
| Spin bowlers | Vipraj Nigam, Ajay Mandal, Sahil Parekh, Rehan Ahmed (overseas) |
Changes since the season: Rishabh Pant has joined from Lucknow Super Giants and leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari from Sunrisers Hyderabad; Kuldeep Yadav (to Lucknow) and T Natarajan (to Hyderabad) have left. Ben Duckett withdrew before the season and was replaced by Rehan Ahmed.
Form and numbers from 2026
| Player | Role | 2026 numbers |
|---|---|---|
| KL Rahul | Wicket-keeper batter | 593 runs |
| Pathum Nissanka | Batter | 278 runs |
| Tristan Stubbs | Batter | 275 runs |
| Sameer Rizvi | Batter | 252 runs |
| Nitish Rana | Batter | 225 runs |
| Lungi Ngidi | Pace bowler | 13 wickets |
| Axar Patel | All-rounder (captain) | 11 wickets |
| Mitchell Starc | Pace bowler | 11 wickets |
Two things stand out for fantasy. KL Rahul scored more than twice as many runs as any other Delhi batter, so Delhi's batting points were concentrated in one player. And no Delhi bowler reached 15 wickets — the attack shared the work, which makes it harder to find a must-pick bowler from this side.
Core fantasy picks
- KL Rahul — 593 runs and the wicket-keeper; the safest Delhi pick and a regular captaincy option.
- Axar Patel — captain, left-arm spinner and lower-middle-order batter; two ways to score in every match.
- Mitchell Starc — left-arm pace with the new ball and at the death; wicket-taking ability on any pitch.
- Lungi Ngidi — Delhi's leading wicket-taker in his first season with them.
Value picks and differentials
- Rishabh Pant — back after the trade from Lucknow. His role and batting position in a new-look Delhi side will decide his value; check both once the season starts.
- Tristan Stubbs — a middle-order hitter who can turn a game in the last five overs.
- Sameer Rizvi — 252 runs; often priced below the overseas batters.
- Vipraj Nigam — leg-spin; with Kuldeep Yadav gone, he may bowl more overs.
Always check the confirmed playing eleven and batting order after the toss.
Arun Jaitley Stadium: what the numbers say
Figures for IPL matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium (103 matches, as of May 2026):
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Wins batting first / chasing | 48 / 54 |
| Average first-innings score | 170 |
| Highest total | 278 |
| Highest successful chase | 265/4 — Punjab Kings v Delhi Capitals, 2026, the highest chase in IPL history |
What it means for your team:
- Usually batting-friendly with short boundaries — top-order batters remain the safest picks.
- But 2026 was unpredictable. A 500-run match and a 75 all out came at the same ground; read the pitch report for each game rather than assuming a run-fest.
- Chasing has a slight edge over the long run.
Full venue breakdown — records, toss trends, pace vs spin and a pre-match checklist: Arun Jaitley Stadium pitch report. For a general routine, see pitch and conditions.
Matchups to check before each DC game
- Starc against the opposition openers. Left-arm pace with the new ball is a threat to most top orders; check how the visiting openers have handled it.
- Axar against right-handed batting. His left-arm spin turns away from right-handers.
- Rahul against powerplay bowling. His fantasy score depends heavily on how long he bats; a weak opposition new-ball attack raises his ceiling.
- Pant's new role. Whether he opens, bats at three or finishes changes his value more than any matchup.
Where to look: player profiles and head-to-head pages on ESPNcricinfo or the official IPL site list a batter's record against each bowler and bowling type.
Captaincy in DC matches
- At home: KL Rahul, or Axar Patel if the pitch looks slow.
- Away on flat pitches: Rahul or another top-order batter.
- In mega contests: Starc or Pant (once his role is clear) can separate you from teams captained by Rahul.
More on choosing: captain and vice-captain.
Recent head-to-head (2025–2026)
Delhi's results against the other nine teams over the last two seasons. Washed-out games are shown as no result and not counted.
| Opponent | 2025 | 2026 | DC won–lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | Won | Lost, lost | 1–2 |
| Gujarat Titans | Lost, lost | Lost | 0–3 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Lost | Lost, won | 1–2 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Won, won | Won | 3–0 |
| Mumbai Indians | Lost, lost | Won | 1–2 |
| Punjab Kings | Won | Lost, won | 2–1 |
| Rajasthan Royals | Won | Won, won | 3–0 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Won, lost | Won, lost | 2–2 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Won, no result | Lost | 1–1 |
Treat these results as context, not a prediction. Delhi have won all three recent games against both Lucknow and Rajasthan, but lost all three against Gujarat Titans.
What to watch before IPL 2027
- New coach, possible new captain. Sourav Ganguly was appointed head coach in October 2026, replacing Hemang Badani. With Pant back as well, watch whether Axar Patel keeps the captaincy.
- 17 November — retentions. Delhi have many overseas options (Starc, Ngidi, Chameera, Jamieson, Miller, Stubbs, Nissanka); which ones stay decides the balance.
- 16 December — auction. After trading Kuldeep Yadav, a wicket-taking spinner is the obvious gap.
Sources
- The Tribune (ANI), IPL extends deadline for retention lists to November 17, 2 November 2026 — retention deadline.
- The Star (Reuters), Ganguly named Delhi Capitals coach for 2027 IPL, 6 October 2026.
- Wikipedia, 2026 Delhi Capitals season — squad, results, run and wicket tallies, auction, trades.
- Wikipedia, 2025 Delhi Capitals season — 2025 results.
- Business Standard, IPL 2027 auction in Goa on December 16; retentions due November 15, October 2026 — post-season trades.
- CricTracker, DC vs RR: IPL 2026 records and stats at Arun Jaitley Stadium, May 2026 — venue figures.