DC in IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals form their best team in years; check predicted playing XI, led by Axar Patel

The Delhi Capitals head into IPL 2026 with World Cup hero Axar Patel as captain and Hemang Badani as head coach. They carry renewed determination after a disappointing fifth-place finish in IPL 2025.

Their 2025 campaign was affected by constant changes at the top of the order. They fiddled with multiple opening combinations, which prevented the side from building stability. In response, the franchise made targeted corrections at the December 2025 auction rather than a complete overhaul.

Delhi released Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk. It added David Miller, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka and Lungi Ngidi.

Nitish Rana was also traded in from the Rajasthan Royals, adding left-handed experience to the middle order. The headline auction buy was uncapped Jammu & Kashmir pacer, Auqib Nabi. DC secured him for ₹8.40 crore after a fierce bidding war with the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The core remains built around KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs, Kuldeep Yadav and Mitchell Starc.

IPL 2026: Full DC Squad

Batters: KL Rahul (WK), Abishek Porel (WK), Nitish Rana, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Prithvi Shaw, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari

All-Rounders: Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Ajay Mandal, Auqib Nabi

Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan, Lungi Ngidi, Dushmantha Chameera, Kyle Jamieson, Mukesh Kumar, Sahil Parakh

Coaching: Hemang Badani (Head Coach)

DC: Predicted Playing XI

KL Rahul is set to open the innings after a fantastic IPL 2025 season. He scored 539 runs at a strike rate of 149.72 in the last season. He will also take the wicketkeeping gloves, giving DC an extra batting slot.

Abishek Porel, who has become a crucial member of the DC setup over the last two seasons, is likely to partner with Rahul at the top. Nitish Rana comes in at number three. He brings left-handed variety and strong spin-hitting ability to the middle order.

David Miller bats at four or five alongside Tristan Stubbs. The two South Africans have good chemistry together, which will prove effective in the death overs.

Captain Axar Patel will bat as a floater, slotting in anywhere between four and seven, depending on the match situation. Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma share the finishing duties lower down the order.

Sharma, in particular, has a T20 strike rate of 163.75. He is capable of winning games from impossible positions.

The spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel forms one of the most effective middle-overs combinations in the tournament. Kuldeep's ability to take wickets and Axar's control make them a nightmare for opposition batters trying to accelerate.

Mitchell Starc leads the pace attack. Despite going for some runs last season, he picked up 14 wickets in just 10 innings. He arrives well-rested after the T20I retirement.

Lungi Ngidi partners with Starc. He brings cross-phase bowling ability and deceptive slower balls as his USP.

Impact Player options include Prithvi Shaw, who must be eager to prove his worth. DC may also opt for Ashutosh Sharma or Auqib Nabi, depending on match conditions.

DC's biggest challenge remains handling pressure moments. Last season, they repeatedly lost control in close finishes through poor death overs and batting collapses.

But, with the most settled squad they have had in years, Delhi Capitals look all set for a serious title challenge. The Capitals are still looking for their maiden IPL titles. Their best finish was in 2020, when they lost to the Mumbai Indians in the final.