They had to settle for fifth place in IPL 2025.
Delhi Capitals (DC) had a great start to the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with six wins in eight games. But some major holes in their squad were exposed in the second half as they narrowly missed out on the playoffs. At the IPL 2026 auction, they will be hoping to address those issues.
The pace bowling attack and muddled batting line-up were the cause of their downfall in the season. It didn’t help that they took eternity to sign a replacement for Harry Brook, who had pulled out before the tournament began.
As they try to solve the issues, we take a look at the likely purse amount for DC at IPL 2026 auction.
Delhi Capitals parted ways with Rishabh Pant and retained Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abishek Porel before the mega auction. Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, here’s a look at the current Delhi Capitals squad and the players’ yearly salaries.
| Player | Price (in INR crore) |
| Axar Patel | 16.5 |
| KL Rahul | 14 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 13.25 |
| Mitchell Starc | 11.75 |
| T. Natarajan | 10.75 |
| Tristan Stubbs | 10 |
| Jake Fraser-McGurk | 9 |
| Mukesh Kumar | 8 |
| Sediqullah Atal | 1.25 |
| Abishek Porel | 4 |
| Ashutosh Sharma | 3.8 |
| Mohit Sharma | 2.2 |
| Faf du Plessis | 2 |
| Sameer Rizvi | 0.95 |
| Donovan Ferreira | 0.75 |
| Dushmantha Chameera | 0.75 |
| Karun Nair | 0.5 |
| Vipraj Nigam | 0.5 |
| Madhav Tiwari | 0.4 |
| Ajay Mandal | 0.3 |
| Darshan Nalkande | 0.3 |
| Manvanth Kumar L | 0.3 |
| Tripurana Vijay | 0.3 |
Apart from this, Delhi Capitals had also signed Mustafizur Rahman Kusal as a temporary replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk. But as per the IPL regulations, they cannot retain the Bangladesh seamer.
Delhi Capitals will look to retain key players from their current squad, along with a few valuable talents. Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, here’s a look at the likely DC Retention List:
Delhi Capitals could release a few big names ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Jake Fraser-McGurk played six games in the previous edition and scored only 55 runs from 52 deliveries. His recent form hasn’t been good either, with only 47 runs in his last six T20 appearances. DC are likely to release him after such returns.
As mentioned earlier, the DC management didn’t have enough trust in T Natarajan. The left-arm pacer played only two games and bowled in only one innings, where he conceded 49 runs in three overs.
Mohit Sharma played eight games in IPL 2025, where he managed only two wickets at an economy of 10.28. Given his track record and age, expect Delhi Capitals to release him.
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Here’s how the Delhi Capitals squad might look after retentions and releases:
Category: Retained
Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Ashutosh Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Vipraj Nigam, Faf du Plessis, Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Karun Nair, Abishek Porel, Donovan Ferreira, Mukesh Kumar, Mitchell Starc, Sediqullah Atal, and Madhav Tiwari.
Category: Released
Jake Fraser-McGurk (INR 9 crore), Dushmantha Chameera (INR 0.75 crore), T Natarajan (INR 10.75 crore), Mohit Sharma (INR 2.2 crore), Darshan Nalkande (INR 0.3 crore), Tripurana Vijay (INR 0.3 crore), Manvanth Kumar L (INR 0.3 crore), Ajay Jadav Mandal (INR 0.3 crore).
Delhi Capitals will offload a few of the underperformers from the previous edition. Jake Fraser-McGurk, whom they had reacquired with an RTM option, could be among the names. DC can free up INR 9 crore by letting him go.
T Natarajan would free up further INR 10.75 crore, giving them a decent amount to work with in the auction. Mukesh Kumar is unlikely to be released, but Mohit Sharma (INR 2.2 crore) could be. By adding other fringe players to the released list, they could get INR 1.95 crore more.
The total amount of the likely Delhi Capitals retentions could be INR 87.65 crore. Assuming there will be no addition to the purse limit, DC could have a balance of INR 32.35 crore at the IPL 2026 auction.
Final Remaining Purse Amount: INR 32.35 crore.
Jamie Smith for Jake Fraser-McGurk – Delhi Capitals could go for the rising English sensation Jamie Smith in the auction. He has been in excellent form and can succeed in subcontinent conditions.
Mohammed Shami for T Natarajan – If Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) release Mohammed Shami, he could be a good fit at DC. Although past his prime, he can bring good experience to the side.
Matt Henry for Dushmantha Chameera – Matt Henry would be a great replacement for Chameera, who was a backup pacer in the side. Henry has been in incredible bowling form and can bowl across all phases.
Likely retained names include Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Mitch Starc, Ashutosh Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Vipraj Nigam, Faf du Plessis, Tristan Stubbs, and Karun Nair.
Possible releases include Jake Fraser-McGurk, Dushmantha Chameera, T Natarajan, and Mohit Sharma.
Delhi Capitals could go into the next auction with a remaining purse of INR 32.35 crore.
