The Delhi Capitals have released two of their overseas openers ahead of the 19th IPL season.
DC Top Priorities for IPL 2026 Auction: They say – however you start, finish strong! The Delhi Capitals (DC) started off on the best note possible in the last season, but the second half of the group stage was where they faltered. After winning each of the first four games, the franchise lost their way and eventually fell short of a berth in the playoffs. The Axar Patel-led side finished fifth on the points table, just below the Mumbai Indians (MI).
In the lead-up to the IPL 2026 auction, the Delhi Capitals released six of their players and traded Donovan Ferreira to the Rajasthan Royals (RR). To add to that, names like Jake Fraser-McGurk and Faf du Plessis were on their release list. The franchise would now have a stern look at the DC top priorities ahead of the next season, before which the IPL 2026 auction would be a major hurdle to ace.
The franchise retained most of their core players, which will hold them in good stead ahead of the 19th edition of the coveted tournament. That being out of the way, the management will have to focus on filling the small loopholes that exist within the squad in order to bolster their chances for IPL 2026. Let us have a look at some of the DC top priorities ahead of IPL 2026 auction.
The Delhi Capitals have nine slots remaining in their squad, out of which five can be overseas players. The franchise has a purse of INR 21.8 crore remaining to be spent.
What Will Be DC Top Priorities in IPL 2026 Auction?
After they rolled out the released and retained players lists for the next edition of the tournament, the Delhi Capitals do not need to make a lot of changes to their squad in the IPL 2026 auction. The franchise will look to fill in players for two major spots in the side, which would be the opener’s slot and a backup for fast bowler Mitchell Starc.
An Overseas Opener
- Rachin Ravindra – The all-rounder from New Zealand would be a pretty good pick for the Delhi Capitals for the next season. Having left two of their openers, the franchise would be in need of some fireworks at the top, so that KL Rahul can ease into his role and anchor the innings. Rachin Ravindra can be handy with the ball in hand as well.
- Tim Robinson – The young batter from New Zealand has been doing the rounds on social media for his impressive performances in the domestic and franchise leagues. Tim Robinson is known for his extremely good bat speed and can tonk the ball a long way. His recent century against Australia in just 65 deliveries quickly became the talking point of his brief career.
- Ben Duckett – One of the best batters to assist KL Rahul with the opener’s role would be Ben Duckett. The left-handed batter is known for his aggression upfront, and is regarded for playing the brand of cricket that he does. If the DC management can acquire him, it would be a great benefit for the franchise in the lead up to the next season.
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A Fast Bowler
- Fazalhaq Farooqi – Though it is not certain that the Afghanistani left-arm pacer would start in the playing XI for the franchise, Fazalhaq Farooqi can be a good back-up for the likes of Mitchell Starc. The speedster has shown a good ability to swing the ball both ways and also possesses variations at the back end of the innings.
- Spencer Johnson – Another bowler who can be a like-for-like replacement for Mitchell Starc, and can even start in the playing XI along with Starc, would be Spencer Johnson. Considering the bounce and carry at their home ground, the Delhi Capitals would not find it a bad idea to stock on some tall pacers to rattle the batters upfront.
- Jacob Duffy – Height, pace and poise – the right-arm pacer has got it all. Jacob Duffy might be the right fit for the Delhi Capitals ahead of the next season. However, that being said, the franchise will have to make sure that they manage their purse well enough to get their hands on most of the high-value players.
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