TL;DR
- Delhi Capitals finished IPL 2025 in fifth place, missing playoffs after a strong start and weak finish.
- DC released Faf du Plessis, Harry Brook, and Jake Fraser-McGurk ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
- The team retained a core group including KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mitchell Starc.
- Delhi Capitals are restructuring to rebuild their team for the upcoming IPL 2026 season.
Delhi Capitals experienced a varied IPL 2025 season. Their campaign began well, securing victories in five out of their initial seven games.
However, their performance declined further as the season progressed, with only two victories in their final seven matches. DC concluded the season in fifth place, failing to qualify for the playoffs for another year.
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With the IPL 2026 mini-auction slated for December, the Capitals' leadership has begun restructuring their team. The organization aims to retain a strong foundation of reliable players, while parting ways with those who did not achieve the expected results in the previous season.
DC unveiled players before the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
Following a season marked by recurring inconsistencies, the Delhi Capitals were poised to implement some difficult decisions. The team has let go of several players in anticipation of IPL 2026, severing ties with seasoned veterans such as Faf du Plessis, Mohit Sharma, and Harry Brook, as well as emerging talents like Jake Fraser-McGurk and Donovan Ferreira.
This transaction frees up significant salary cap room and allows for greater roster maneuverability as DC aim to rebuild their team during the forthcoming mini-auction.
| S. No. | Released players |
|---|---|
| 1 | Faf du Plessis |
| 2 | Jake Fraser-McGurk |
| 3 | Mohit Sharma |
| 4 | Harry Brook |
| 5 | Donovan Ferreria |
| 6 | Manvanth Kumar |
| 7 | Darshan Nalkande |
MORE: IPL 2026: How does a player trade work?
DC keeps players for IPL 2026 auction
Delhi Capitals have held onto a strong core for IPL 2026, retaining a balanced mix of power-hitters, reliable all-rounders and impactful bowlers. With experienced names like KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Mitchell Starc anchoring the lineup.
| S. No. | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tristan Stubbs |
| 2 | Sameer Rizvi |
| 3 | Karun Nair |
| 4 | KL Rahul |
| 5 | Abhishek Porel |
| 6 | Axar Patel |
| 7 | Ashutosh Sharma |
| 8 | Vipraj Nigam |
| 9 | Madhav Tiwari |
| 10 | Tripurana Vijay |
| 11 | Ajay Mandal |
| 12 | Kuldeep Yadav |
| 13 | Mitchell Starc |
| 14 | T Natarajan |
| 15 | Mukesh Kumar |
| 16 | Dushmanta Chameera |
MORE: IPL 2026 trade deals: Full list of player trades and cash deals ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction
Delhi Capitals current squad
Here is DC's current squad:
| S. No. | Squad |
|---|---|
| 1 | KL Rahul |
| 2 | Faf du Plessis |
| 3 | Abishek Porel(w) |
| 4 | Axar Patel(c) |
| 5 | Tristan Stubbs |
| 6 | Sameer Rizvi |
| 7 | Ashutosh Sharma |
| 8 | Vipraj Nigam |
| 9 | Kuldeep Yadav |
| 10 | T Natarajan |
| 11 | Mustafizur Rahman |
| 12 | Dushmantha Chameera |
| 13 | Sediqullah Atal |
| 14 | Karun Nair |
| 15 | Tripurana Vijay |
| 16 | Madhav Tiwari |
| 17 | Mohit Sharma |
| 18 | Mukesh Kumar |
| 19 | Ajay Jadav Mandal |
| 20 | Darshan Nalkande |
| 21 | Donovan Ferreira |
| 22 | Manvanth Kumar L |
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