Delhi Capitals narrowly missed out on a playoff berth in IPL 2025, finishing fifth on the points table with 15 points from seven wins and six losses in 14 matches, including one rain-affected game. The runners-up of the 2020 season were edged out due to a marginal net run rate of +0.011, making their exit particularly painful.
Ahead of the auction, the Delhi-based franchise made a key move by trading in left-handed batter Nitish Rana from Rajasthan Royals. They entered the auction with eight vacant slots, including the option to sign up to five overseas players. Under the leadership of Axar Patel, Delhi relied heavily last season on KL Rahul, their leading run-scorer, and Kuldeep Yadav, their top wicket-taker.
At the auction, Delhi Capitals focused on boosting their batting depth by signing Pathum Nissanka and experienced finisher David Miller. They also invested in young Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi, who has impressed consistently at the domestic level. The franchise rounded off their auction by acquiring New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, who became the final player sold.
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Delhi Capitals Full Squad for IPL 2026
| Player | Country | Role | Price |
| Axar Patel | India | All-rounder | INR 16.50 crore |
| KL Rahul | India | Wicketkeeper-batter | INR 14.00 crore |
| Kuldeep Yadav | India | Bowler | INR 13.25 crore |
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | Bowler | INR 11.75 crore |
| T. Natarajan | India | Bowler | INR 10.75 crore |
| Tristan Stubbs | South Africa | Wicketkeeper-batter | INR 10.00 crore |
| Auqib Nabi | India | Bowler | INR 8.40 crore |
| Mukesh Kumar | India | Bowler | INR 8.00 crore |
| Nitish Rana (traded in) | India | Batter | INR 4.20 crore |
| Pathum Nissanka | Sri Lanka | Batter | INR 4.00 crore |
| Abishek Porel | India | Wicketkeeper-batter | INR 4.00 crore |
| Ashutosh Sharma | India | All-rounder | INR 3.80 crore |
| Ben Duckett | England | Batter | INR 2.00 crore |
| David Miller | South Africa | Batter | INR 2.00 crore |
| Lungi Ngidi | South Africa | Bowler | INR 2.00 crore |
| Sameer Rizvi | India | Batter | INR 95 lakh |
| Dushmantha Chameera | Sri Lanka | Bowler | INR 75 lakh |
| Prithvi Shaw | India | Batter | INR 75 lakh |
| Karun Nair | India | Batter | INR 50 lakh |
| Vipraj Nigam | India | Bowler | INR 50 lakh |
| Madhav Tiwari | India | All-rounder | INR 40 lakh |
| Ajay Mandal | India | All-rounder | INR 30 lakh |
| Tripurana Vijay | India | Bowler | INR 30 lakh |
| Sahil Parakh | India | Batter | INR 30 lakh |
| Kyle Jamieson | New Zealand | Bowler | INR 2.00 crore |
Delhi Capitals (DC) Squad Strength and Purse Remaining for IPL 2026
| Squad Strength | Purse Remaining |
| 25/25 (Indian — 17, Overseas — 8) | INR 5 lakh |
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