Indian all-rounder Axar Patel will captain the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the upcoming IPL 2026, but their main strength will not be their leader. Last year, everything went wrong for the Capitals.
They had a great start, but the constant chopping and changing didn’t help them, as the Delhi Capitals failed to make it to the playoffs. Delhi’s big players failed to deliver consistently, and the team kept losing momentum. Yet, DC didn’t make too many changes at the mini auction.
3 players could power DC to IPL 2026 glory
They released players like Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk and signed experienced, impactful, and proven star players like David Miller, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka, and Lungi Ngidi. Well, KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, and David Miller give strength to the batting, while Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will take care of the spin department.
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However, they might miss the presence of Mitchell Starc in the early matches, but they look strong to make a strong impact. We predict that KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, and Tristan Stubbs will play key roles in the team’s success in the upcoming IPL 2026.
KL Rahul
Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul could be the most important player for the Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL 2026 after his strike rate improved. The right-handed batter made his DC debut last year, and he made a stunning impact with the bat by scoring 539 runs at a strike rate of around 150.
Delhi had a big problem with its opening, and Rahul can solve that with his ability to handle one end and then increase the speed when needed. The Karnataka star is expected to open the innings and give DC strong and stable starts in the upcoming season.
He is one of the most consistent top-order batters in the IPL, with over 4,400 runs at an average near 50. Overall, the former PBKS and LSG captain has 5,222 runs in 145 matches to his name in the IPL.
Tristan Stubbs
Tristan Stubbs remains the big X-factor for the Capitals. He is an ultra-aggressive anchor-finisher in the middle order against both spin and fast bowling. In death overs, he can be a very dangerous batter, and DC must feel blessed to have such a talented star, who is also a useful wicketkeeper and off-spinner.
Stubbs, who was retained by the franchise for a whopping INR 10 crore, has so far amassed 705 runs at a high strike rate of 163.19 and picked up 4 wickets at an average of 17.25 in 32 IPL matches. Additionally, the South African star has also taken 17 catches to prove his multi-dimensional skill.
Kuldeep Yadav
India’s wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav remains the main wicket-taking bowler for DC alongside the skipper Axar Patel after being retained for ₹13.25 crore by the franchise. The Chinaman bowler’s job is to break partnerships while attacking the batters.
His left-arm wrist spin, googly, and flight confuse batters, giving DC an advantage. He is the team’s trump card in tough moments, as he keeps running low and takes key wickets. Kuldeep has so far played 98 matches and scalped 102 wickets at an economy rate of 8 and an average of over 26 so far in the IPL.
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