New Delhi, March 21: Under the leadership of Axar Patel, the Delhi Capitals are determined to end their title drought in IPL 2026. On paper, the team’s batting order appears well-balanced. However, the absence of Mitchell Starc in the early matches raises concerns about the pace attack.
In IPL 2025, the Delhi Capitals started strong but faltered in the second half of the season. Out of 14 matches, they won 7 and lost 7, failing to secure a playoff spot under Axar’s captaincy. KL Rahul showed good form last season, while Tristan Stubbs also delivered impressive performances. Abhishek Porel made a significant impact with his batting. This season, Delhi will benefit from the experience of Nitish Rana, who is expected to play in the middle order.
Additionally, Delhi has two excellent opening batsmen in Ben Duckett and Prithvi Shaw. With the acquisition of David Miller, the middle order looks solid. As finishers, Ashutosh Sharma and Sameer Rizvi are formidable options. Stubbs also performed well as a finisher last season. Kyle Jamieson and Vipraj Nigam can contribute significantly with both bat and ball.
However, the absence of Mitchell Starc in the initial matches makes Delhi Capitals’ pace attack appear somewhat weak. Mukesh Kumar has the knack for taking wickets but can be expensive. T Natarajan struggled for form last season. All eyes will be on Aaqib Nabi this season, who excelled in the Ranji Trophy. In the spin department, Delhi boasts two strong spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, who can turn matches on their own.
Delhi’s complete squad includes:
Axar Patel (Captain), Lungi Ngidi, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka, Aaqib Nabi Dar, Nitish Rana, Vipraj Nigam, Tristan Stubbs, Sahil Parekh, David Miller, Prithvi Shaw, Kyle Jamieson, Tripurana Vijay, T Natarajan, Sameer Rizvi, Mitchell Starc, Madhav Tiwari, Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Dushmantha Chameera, Axar Patel (Captain), Ashutosh Sharma, Ajay Mandal, Abhishek Porel.
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