Delhi Capitals have spent the better part of their IPL existence chasing a sensation as much as a trophy. That feeling of getting it right when it matters, when you’re not watching a good season slip quietly into another what if.
They were close enough, often enough. The finals of 2020 could be felt as the beginning of something, a young team growing into itself, a franchise finally shedding its former identity. That didn’t quite work out. Playoff appearances came, but the playoffs remained elusive. Delhi was rarely poor, but it was not unforgiving.
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This season comes with a calmer kind of confidence. Not the loud preseason optimism that teams sell, but the sense of a group that looks comfortable in its own skin.
This starts with Axar Patel. There was a time when he was considered a reliable cricketer in someone else’s team. Now this one leads. The transition was gradual and in many ways appropriate. Axar doesn’t force himself into the game, yet he’s constantly in it. This quality tends to travel well in long tournaments.
The section has a certain logic around it. KL Rahul offers a sense of order at the top. He doesn’t always rush, but T20 sides need someone who understands pace, not just power. Pathum Nissanka gives them a different rhythm and Nitish Rana remains the type of batsman who can switch roles without much fuss.
The middle order on paper looks like it should win them games they have no business doing. David Miller has made a career out of these situations and Tristan Stubbs is quickly building a reputation. There is youth around them, players are still finding their way, which is not always a weakness. Sometimes it gives the party its edge.
However, bowling may be where Delhi feel most confident. Fit Mitchell Starc changes the tone of the attack. He asks questions they can’t always answer, especially early and late in the shift. Lungi Ngidi offers control, the kind of control captains rely on when the game threatens to slip away. Smart auctions like Auqib Nabi they strengthened the depth of the team and gave the team more flexibility across departments.
And then there’s rotation. Axar and Kuldeep Yadav bowled enough together to understand each other’s rhythms. They not only contain but create pressure that leads to errors. In a format that often rewards impatience, this can be decisive.
Despite all this, Delhi’s concerns are not new. Injuries have a habit of coming at bad times. The uncertainty over Starc’s availability at the start of the season is a reminder of how quickly plans can shift. Their bat, despite the names it carries, has at times looked better on paper than in the middle. Combinations were tried, changed and tried again.
There is also the weight of history, not in the dramatic sense, but in the quiet way it lingers. Winless teams tend to carry moments from previous seasons with them even as they try not to win.
What is different this year is hard to single out one thing. It’s not just about the team, the captain or the balance. It’s a feeling Delhi may not have to reinvent themselves midway through the tournament. If they can stay in shape, trust what they’ve chosen and avoid constant change, they give themselves a chance.
For the Delhi Capitals, the question was never about ability. It was about keeping your nerve for a long season, recognizing when they were on the right track and staying on it.
They have the players to go deep again. Whether they ultimately go one step further will depend on how well they deal with the moments that destroyed them before.
DC FORCES
It’s not often you struggle to find a weak link in a Delhi side, but this group comes close. Delhi Capitals look well-rounded, with plenty of batting experience and real scoring options with the ball. The balance is right, which they haven’t always been.
KL Rahul is one to watch. Runs were never a problem with him. What this season might call for is something more defining, an IPL where it shapes results and takes a side through phases that tend to decide campaigns. Alongside him, the spin pair of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav remains one of the more reliable combinations in the tournament.
It is hard for Delhi to ignore the bigger picture. Seems like as good a chance as they’ve had. Rahul, Axar and Mitchell Starc form the core and there is enough quality to go deep. If they stay fit and the batting holds its shape throughout the season, the top four should be well within reach. Bowling has the appearance of a unit that won the title. As always, the batting will decide how far they will go.
WEAKNESSES OF DC
There is no glaring flaw to point to in this Delhi Capitals side, which is unusual in itself. The only area that invites a second look is the Indian pace group. T Natarajan and Mukesh Kumar have shown they can deliver, but this is the kind of season where they will be asked to do it consistently, regardless of the conditions and under pressure.
Fitness, as always in Delhi, sits quietly in the background. Axar Patel has a lot of cricket in his legs. For Delhi, it’s rarely just about who plays well, but who is available long enough to build something. The batting also has a habit of losing direction, with changes at the top often disrupting any rhythm they manage to find. Endgames remain a conversation they haven’t quite gotten over yet.
A lot will depend on how David Miller and Tristan Stubbs get along soon. If one of them goes quiet, there’s no obvious like-for-like option waiting in the wings.
The season has already completed its first adjustment. The late departure of Ben Duckett has left a gap at the top and a replacement is yet to come. Meanwhile, Starc will miss the opening matches and Cricket Australia is cautious about his return.
DC FULL SQUAD 2026
Delhi Capitals retained players: Nitish Rana (traded from RR), Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tishwar Kupraj Mandal, Mupraj Madraj
Players bought in IPL Auction 2026: David Miller (Rs 2 crore), Ben Duckett (Rs 2 crore, withdrawn), Auqib Dar (Rs 8.4 crore), Pathum Nissanka (Rs 4 crore), Lungi Ngidi (Rs 2 crore), Sahil Parikh (Rs 30 crore), Kyys Shaw (Rs 755000000000 crore)
DC: 3 PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
KL Rahul: The veteran batsman remains a pillar of Delhi Capitals’ top order. In IPL 2025, he has scored over 539 runs at a strike rate of 149.72, underscoring both consistency and a shift towards a more aggressive approach. He heads into the new season in strong touch after scoring several centuries in the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy knockouts. With Faf du Plessis no longer part of the set-up, Rahul is expected to take on more responsibility at the top, likely alongside a new opening partner.
David Miller: IPL 2025 has been stunning for the brilliant Proteas. He managed to strike 127.49 in 11 innings for Lucknow Super Giants, a return well below his usual standards as a finisher. Moving to a new franchise offers him a reset. Miller showed signs of form during the 2026 T20 World Cup, including a match-winning 63 against India in Ahmedabad. Delhi Capitals will hope to carry this momentum and rediscover their role as a reliable sidekick in tough situations.
Axar Patel: DC’s Bapu enters IPL 2026 with increased scrutiny as he looks to lead Delhi Capitals to their maiden title. Now in his second season as captain and eighth with the franchise, Axar said he feels more comfortable in the role. At 32, this season could shape his leadership trajectory. A strong campaign will not only strengthen Delhi’s title bid but also boost its credibility within the Indian leadership group.
DC POSSIBLE PLAYING XIS
Batting first:
Playing XI: KL Rahul, Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Auqib Nabi, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav
Impact Sub: T Natarajan
Batting second:
Playing XI: KL Rahul, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel, Sameer Rizvi, Vipraj Nigam, Auqib Nabi, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan
Impact Sub: Pathum Nissanka
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
1 Apr 2026 07:33 IST
