Delhi Capitals is a franchise team that plays in the Indian Premier League. The team plays its home matches at the historic Arun Jaitley Stadium, previously known as Feroz Shah Kotla.
From humble beginnings as Delhi Daredevils, to a rebirth in 2018 – DC has always been a side with potential but yet to win their first IPL title. They came closest to success in 2020 when they were runners-up.
While we enter IPL 2026, DC has once again made changes to its team and leadership so that they can reset their momentum and this time win the elusive trophy.
Delhi Capitals Overview
| Category | Details |
| Captain | Axar Patel (appointed in 2025) |
| Coach | Hemang Badani |
| Home Ground | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi |
| IPL Titles | None (Runners-up in 2020) |
| Owner | GMR Group & JSW Sports |
DC Squad 2026 | DC Team Retained Players
Batsman
Ashutosh Sharma
Batsman
KL Rahul
WK/Batsman
Karun Nair
Batsman
Abishek Porel
WK/Batsman
Sameer Rizvi
Batsman
Tristan Stubbs
WK/Batsman
All Rounders
Ajay Mandal
All Rounder
Axar Patel
Captain & All Rounder
Madhav Tiwari
All Rounder
TripuranaVijay
All Rounder
Bowlers
T Natarajan
Bowler
Dushmantha Chameera
Bowler
Kuldeep Yadav
Bowler
Mitchell Starc
Bowler
Vipraj Nigam
Bowler
Mukesh Kumar
Bowler
T Natarajan
Bowler
Vipraj Nigam
Bowler
DC Released Players 2026
| Player Name | Role | Reason for Release |
|---|---|---|
| Faf du Plessis | Batter | Ageing profile; heavy purse value |
| Mohit Sharma | Pacer | End of role; age factor |
| Manvanth Kumar | All-Rounder | Squad restructuring |
| Jake Fraser-McGurk | Overseas Batter | Inconsistent IPL 2025 |
| Donovan Ferreira | WK-Batter | Traded out in RR; DC reshaping overseas group |
| Sediqullah Atal | All-Rounder | No opportunities in 2025 |
| Darshan Nalkande | Pace All-Rounder | Team balance change |
Delhi Capitals History
The IPL started in 2008 with Delhi Capitals making their debut as Delhi Daredevils. The franchise rebranded itself in 2018, part of a significant identity transition when they became Delhi Capitals – fitting for the team connected to India’s political and cultural nerve center.
The rebrand was meant to signal an injection of fresh ambition and power into the franchise, as co-owner Parth Jindal pushed for at that time.
The team’s most popular anthem “Khelo Front Foot Pe” by Kailash Kher is still one of the distinguishable anthems in the league.
Of the years, DC has made marquee stars – Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel.
The team is getting ready for a new competitive setup in IPL 2026, with Axar at the helm after seasons of underperformance.
Delhi Capitals Highs
Such a high point for Delhi Capitals was finishing as runners up in the 2020 IPL season.
In recent seasons, the franchise has demonstrated that Porel, Stubbs and Fraser-McGurk are part of a strong development path for young players which is being used to drive their 2026 prospects.
With the young Axar Patel to steer as captain, DC can now start IPL 2026 with confidence and a vision for the long haul.
Delhi Capitals Lows
It’s this type of split that DC has confronted with two common problems:
- Instability – chopped and changed as captain for years to come to 2025 hurt their long-term planning.
- Mixed seasons – mid to lower table finishes in 2022–24.
Between those stumbling blocks, the franchise was never able to assemble the perfect balance for a title-winning season.
IPL 2026 is a reset, with a manpower refreshed of youth and surety under such an unruffled leader as Axar.
Delhi Capitals Record Table 2008 to 2025
| Season | Matches Played | Wins | Losses | No Result | Final Standing | Top Run Scorer | Top Wicket Taker |
| 2008 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 1 | Semi-finalists | Virender Sehwag | Glenn McGrath |
| 2009 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 0 | Semi-finalists | AB de Villiers | Ashish Nehra |
| 2010 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | Group Stage | Virender Sehwag | Amit Mishra |
| 2011 | 14 | 4 | 9 | 1 | Group Stage | David Warner | Morne Morkel |
| 2012 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | Playoffs | Virender Sehwag | Morne Morkel |
| 2013 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0 | Group Stage | David Warner | Umesh Yadav |
| 2014 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | Group Stage | Jean-Paul Duminy | Imran Tahir |
| 2015 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | Group Stage | Shreyas Iyer | Nathan Coulter-Nile |
| 2016 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | Group Stage | Quinton de Kock | Chris Morris |
| 2017 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | Group Stage | Rishabh Pant | Pat Cummins |
| 2018 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | Group Stage | Rishabh Pant | Trent Boult |
| 2019 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | Playoffs | Shikhar Dhawan | Kagiso Rabada |
| 2020 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 0 | Runners-up | Shikhar Dhawan | Kagiso Rabada |
| 2021 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | Playoffs | Shikhar Dhawan | Avesh Khan |
| 2022 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 5th Place | David Warner | Kuldeep Yadav |
| 2023 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 9th Place | David Warner | Anrich Nortje |
| 2024 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 7th Place | Rishabh Pant | Kuldeep Yadav |
| 2025 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 5th Place | KL Rahul (539) | Kuldeep Yadav (14) |
FAQs
Who will become the captain of Delhi Capitals in IPL 20206?
Ans: Axar Patel will lead as they did in IPL 2025.
Have Delhi Capitals won the IPL title?
Ans: No. Their highest finish is as runners-up in 2020.
What has DC changed this time in 2026?
Ans: DC has also bagged Nitish Rana and is rebuilding around a roster of young guns: Stubbs, Porel and Fraser-McGurk. Vocab of the people could also see some overseas changes, in view of IPL 2026 to be missed by certain veteran cricketers.
Who are the most consistent performers in history of DC?
Ans: Rishabh Pant is their leading all-time run-getter, while Kagiso Rabada and Kuldeep Yadav have been the standout bowlers.
What does DC want above all from IPL 2026?
Ans: To construct instead a more solid squad around Axar Patel and push strongly for playoff places - and the franchise’s first IPL title.
CSK Retention and Release List IPL 2026 | RCB Retention and Release List IPL 2026
