Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals logo

IPL Trophy:- 0

Captain

Axar Patel

Coach

Hemang Badani

Owner

JSW GMR Cricket Pvt Ltd

Venue

Arun Jaitley Stadium

Captain

-

Axar Patel

Coach

-

Hemang Badani

Owner

-

JSW GMR Cricket Pvt Ltd

Venue

-

Arun Jaitley Stadium

Overview

Delhi Capitals Team is one of the original members of Indian premier league. The franchise is based in New Delhi, and it has been a part of the IPL since its very first season in 2008. The team was referred to as the Delhi Daredevils during the first eleven years. In December 2018, the franchise changed its name to the Delhi Capitals IPL team, and the new name appeared to affect the performance as well.

DC have never won the IPL title, but they have been a competitive side throughout most of their history. Their sole IPL final appearance came in 2020 where they lost to Mumbai Indians. They also came third in 2008, 2009 and 2012 following playoffs. The team has begun to gain momentum in recent years under the captainship of Axar Patel. They also completed fifth in 2025, one point short of the playoffs.

GMR Group and JSW Sports are co-owners of the team and they play their home games in the Arun Jaitley stadium, previously referred to as Feroz Shah Kotla, in New Delhi. The stadium has a rich history of cricket, and it has witnessed some of the best IPL matches in the past few years. The capital city boasts a huge and enthusiastic fan base of DC and their 2026 squad is stronger than it has been in a long time.

Team Name Delhi Capitals (DC)
Founded Year 2008 (as Delhi Daredevils)
Rebranded 2019 (as Delhi Capitals)
Captain Axar Patel
Head Coach Hemang Badani
Owner JSW GMR Cricket Pvt Ltd (GMR Group & JSW Sports)
Home Ground Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
League Indian Premier League (IPL)
Titles Won 0 (Runners-up in 2020)

Team History

The Delhi Capitals Team was formed in 2008 when the IPL was launched. The GMR Group bought the Delhi franchise for approximately US $84 million. In the early seasons, Delhi had some experienced names in their lineup, including Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and AB de Villiers. The team reached the semi-finals in both 2008 and 2009, but could not go all the way.

After a strong start, Delhi went through a rough patch. They finished bottom of the table in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2018. The 2011 to 2018 period was largely inconsistent. The team changed captains and coaches multiple times, and the results never quite found a steady level. In hindsight, some big names left the squad during this time. Rishabh Pant came through the ranks and became one of the best players the franchise has ever produced.

The rebranding in 2019 to Delhi Capitals brought a clear change in direction. They qualified for the playoffs that year and then had their best IPL season in 2020, reaching the final for the first time. Shreyas Iyer led the side to that final, though Mumbai Indians won the title. In 2021, Delhi finished top of the league stage table but lost both their playoff games and could not reach the final.

From 2022 onwards, the team has gone through some changes in leadership and squad composition. Rishabh Pant moved to Lucknow Super Giants in 2025. Axar Patel was appointed captain ahead of the 2025 season and did reasonably well, guiding the side to five wins. In 2026, with a refreshed squad including KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc, and several new faces, DC are looking to go deeper into the tournament.

Delhi Capitals 2026 Squad

The Delhi Capitals 2026 squad was finalised after the mini-auction in Abu Dhabi on 16 December 2025. The franchise retained 17 players and traded in Nitish Rana from Rajasthan Royals for Rs 4.2 crore. They used their remaining purse of Rs 21.8 crore to add new players at the auction.

Player Name Role Status
Axar Patel All-Rounder Retained / Captain
KL Rahul Batter Retained
Kuldeep Yadav Bowler Retained
Mitchell Starc Bowler Retained
Tristan Stubbs WK-Batter Retained
Abishek Porel WK-Batter Retained
Karun Nair Batter Retained
Sameer Rizvi Batter Retained
Ashutosh Sharma All-Rounder Retained
Vipraj Nigam All-Rounder Retained
T. Natarajan Bowler Retained
Mukesh Kumar Bowler Retained
Dushmantha Chameera Bowler Retained
Nitish Rana Batter Traded in (Rs 4.2 Cr)
David Miller Batter Bought (Rs 2 Cr)
Ben Duckett Batter Bought (Rs 2 Cr)
Pathum Nissanka Batter Bought (Rs 4 Cr)
Auqib Nabi All-Rounder Bought (Rs 8.40 Cr)
Kyle Jamieson All-Rounder Bought (Rs 2 Cr)

Released players before the auction: Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mohit Sharma, Sediqullah Atal, Manvanth Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira (traded out).

Team Performance

The Delhi Capitals Stats across their IPL history show a team that has often been competitive without consistently finishing in the top four. They have made the playoffs several times but have struggled to maintain momentum when it matters most.

Their best season by results was 2020, when they won nine out of 14 group stage games and reached the final. In 2021, they topped the league table with ten wins but then lost in the Qualifier 2 and could not make the final. In 2025, they won seven of their 14 matches and finished fifth, missing the playoffs by just one point.

The 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons were difficult. In 2023 they finished ninth and in 2024 their form was patchy. The 2025 season under Axar Patel was an improvement on those two years, and going into 2026 the squad depth looks better than it has for a while.

Records & Achievements

The Delhi Capitals Records in the IPL include several notable performances over the years. Rishabh Pant is the highest run-scorer in franchise history, crossing 3,000 runs in his eight seasons with the team. He struck at a rate of 149 during his time with Delhi, which tells you the kind of impact he had.

Amit Mishra is the highest wicket-taker in franchise history, taking 106 wickets in 99 matches across his time with Delhi. He also took a memorable hat-trick against Deccan Chargers in 2008 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, becoming the first player to take a hat-trick in IPL history.

The Delhi Capitals Records at the Arun Jaitley Stadium also include some strong individual performances. Jake Fraser-McGurk’s 15-ball fifty against SRH in 2024 equaled the joint-fastest half-century in IPL history.

Record Detail
IPL Titles 0
Finals Appearances 1 (2020)
Playoff Appearances 7
All-Time Top Run-Scorer Rishabh Pant (3000+ runs)
All-Time Top Wicket-Taker Amit Mishra (106 wickets in 99 matches)
DC Highest Total at Home 231/4 vs PBKS (2011)
DC Lowest Total at Home 66 vs MI (2017)
Most Runs at Arun Jaitley Stadium David Warner (1048 runs in 36 innings)
Most Wickets at Arun Jaitley Stadium Amit Mishra (58 wickets)
First IPL Hat-trick Amit Mishra vs Deccan Chargers (2008)

Home Ground Details

The Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi is one of the oldest cricket grounds in India. It was established in 1883 and was known for many years as Feroz Shah Kotla. The Delhi & District Cricket Association renamed it in 2019 to honour former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Fans in Delhi still affectionately call it Qila Kotla.

The stadium has a seating capacity of around 41,820. The pitch at this ground has traditionally been dry and slightly turning, which gave spinners an advantage in earlier years. In recent seasons, the surface has become much more batting-friendly. High scores have become common, and chasing teams have generally done well here, though in the last three years batting first has also produced good results.

DC have a home record of 38 wins from 86 matches at this ground, a win percentage of around 47%. That figure shows that the Arun Jaitley Stadium has not been the fortress that Delhi supporters would like it to be.

Detail Info
Stadium Name Arun Jaitley Stadium (formerly Feroz Shah Kotla)
Location New Delhi
Seating Capacity Approximately 41,820
Pitch Type Dry, hard surface; batting-friendly in recent years
Highest Team Total at Venue 278/3 by SRH (2025)
Lowest Total at Venue 66 by Delhi Daredevils vs MI (2017)
DC Home Record 38 wins from 86 matches (approx. 47% win rate)
Key Advantage Dry conditions suit spinners; Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav both benefit at this ground

Latest News

The Delhi Capitals News heading into IPL 2026 has largely focused on their squad rebuild and preparations under Axar Patel. After finishing fifth in 2025, one point outside the playoffs, the franchise went into the auction with a clear plan. They strengthened their batting with the addition of David Miller, Ben Duckett, and Pathum Nissanka. They also signed Auqib Nabi, a promising young all-rounder from Jammu & Kashmir, for Rs 8.40 crore.

The Delhi Capitals Schedule for IPL 2026 runs from 28 March to 31 May 2026. The Delhi Capitals Fixtures include home games at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, which will see the likes of KL Rahul and Axar Patel take the field in front of the home crowd. Mitchell Starc’s availability in the early part of the season was noted as a concern, with reports suggesting he could miss some matches.

The Delhi Capitals IPL team enters the 2026 season with one of the more balanced squads they have assembled in recent years. Axar Patel continues as captain and Hemang Badani remains head coach. With a strong spin attack led by Axar and Kuldeep Yadav, and more batting depth than they had in 2025, DC are among the teams expected to push for a playoff spot.

Batters

KL Rahul

KL Rahul

WK-Batter

Karun Nair

Karun Nair

Batter

David Miller

David Miller

Batter

Ben Duckett

Ben Duckett

WK-Batter

Pathum Nissanka

Pathum Nissanka

Batter

Sahil Parakh

Sahil Parakh

Batter

Sahil Parakh

Sahil Parakh

Batter

Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw

Batter

Abishek Porel

Abishek Porel

WK-Batter

Tristan Stubbs

Tristan Stubbs

WK-Batter

Rovman Powell

Batter

All Rounders

Axar Patel

Axar Patel

All-Rounder

Sameer Rizvi

Sameer Rizvi

All-Rounder

Ashutosh Sharma

Ashutosh Sharma

All-Rounder

Vipraj Nigam

Vipraj Nigam

All-Rounder

Ajay Mandal

Ajay Mandal

All-Rounder

Tripurana Vijay

Tripurana Vijay

All-Rounder

Tripurana Vijay

Tripurana Vijay

All-Rounder

Madhav Tiwari

Madhav Tiwari

All-Rounder

Auqib Dar

Auqib Dar

All-Rounder

Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana

All-Rounder

Ajay Mandal

All-Rounder

Bowlers

Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc

Bowler

T. Natarajan

T. Natarajan

Bowler

Mukesh Kumar

Mukesh Kumar

Bowler

Dushmantha Chameera

Dushmantha Chameera

Bowler

Lungisani Ngidi

Lungisani Ngidi

Bowler

Kyle Jamieson

Kyle Jamieson

Bowler

Kyle Jamieson

Kyle Jamieson

Bowler

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav

Bowler

Umran Malik

Bowler

Sunil Narine

Bowler

Varun Chakaravarthy

Bowler

IPL Points Table 2026

Teams M W L NRR Pts
RR 3 3 0 +2.403 6
PBKS 3 2 0 +0.637 5
RCB 2 2 0 +2.501 4
DC 3 2 1 +0.811 4
SRH 3 1 2 +0.275 2
GT 3 1 2 -0.270 2
LSG 2 1 1 -0.542 2
MI 3 1 2 -0.715 2
KKR 3 0 2 -1.964 1
CSK 3 0 3 -2.517 0

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the Delhi Capitals captain in IPL 2026?

Axar Patel is the Delhi Capitals captain for IPL 2026. He was appointed captain ahead of the 2025 season and has continued in the role for 2026. He is also one of the team’s key all-rounders with both bat and ball.

Hemang Badani is the head coach of the Delhi Capitals for IPL 2026. He has been with the franchise and has continued in the role following their fifth-place finish in IPL 2025.

No, the Delhi Capitals IPL team has not won the IPL title. Their best result came in 2020 when they reached the final for the first time, but lost to Mumbai Indians. They have appeared in the playoffs multiple times but are yet to win the championship.

The Delhi Capitals 2026 squad is built around Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mitchell Starc as the retained core. New signings include David Miller, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka, and Auqib Nabi. Tristan Stubbs and Abishek Porel provide wicket-keeping options in the middle order.

DC play their home matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, formerly known as Feroz Shah Kotla. The stadium has a capacity of around 41,820 and has hosted IPL matches since 2008.

The Delhi Capitals Schedule and Delhi Capitals Fixtures for IPL 2026 are available on the official IPL website at iplt20.com and on the Delhi Capitals official website at delhicapitals.in. The IPL 2026 season runs from 28 March to 31 May 2026.

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