IPL Auction 2026: Delhi Capitals (DC) will enter the IPL 2026 auction with a purse of ₹21.80 crore, aiming to fill key gaps in their squad, particularly at the top of the order and in the overseas roster. The franchise can sign up to eight players, including five foreign players, in the auction scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi. The departures of Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk have left Delhi without reliable openers. KL Rahul could be moved up to open alongside Abishek Porel, though this remains speculative. Nitish Rana is expected to bat at number three, while Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma and Axar Patel form a capable middle order.
Delhi also need more power hitters for the middle and death overs. The pace attack needs support beyond Mitchell Starc. T Natarajan’s fitness issues and Mukesh Kumar’s inconsistent form last season showed a clear lack of depth in the fast-bowling unit.
Top Targets for IPL 2026 Auction
Ben Duckett – The left-handed opener offers aggressive starts in the powerplay. His ability against pace and spin could provide Delhi with early momentum, a quality missing in the previous season.
David Miller – The experienced South African finisher brings calm and reliability to the lower order. Miller has over 3,000 IPL runs and could provide stability in high-pressure situations.
Jacob Duffy – The New Zealand pacer has excelled in T20Is this year, including a four-wicket haul against West Indies. Duffy could strengthen Delhi’s powerplay attack with early breakthroughs.
Matthew Forde – The West Indies all-rounder offers both accurate new-ball bowling and lower-order hitting. His versatility provides balance and flexibility in the squad.
Matheesha Pathirana – The Sri Lankan speedster is regarded as one of the premier death bowlers. His ability to execute yorkers consistently can improve Delhi’s finishing overs, which were a weak point in IPL 2025.
Retained Players: KL Rahul, Nitish Rana, Abishek Porel, Axar Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, Tristan Stubbs, Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, Karun Nair, Dushmantha Chameera, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Ajay Mandal, Tripurana Vijay, Vipraj Nigam and Kuldeep Yadav.
Released Players: Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Donovan Ferreira, Sediqullah Atal, Mohit Sharma, Manvanth Kumar and Darshan Nalkande.
