DC IPL 2026 Squad Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Strongest XI

The IPL 2026 auction witnessed several high-priced buys, but there was one team, Delhi Capitals, that made two steal purchases. Thanks to their outstanding auction, the DC IPL 2026 squad boasts a nice blend of youth and experience. They brought in youngsters like Auqib Nabi and Pathum Nissanka, who drew high bids, while securing the services of experienced players like David Miller and Ben Duckett at their base prices. This powered them to strike a perfect balance within the starting playing XI.

Delhi Capitals’ diverse bowling attack and middle-order strength make them playoff contenders. However, they face risks with top-order consistency. Let’s dive deeper and take a look at the DC IPL 2026 squad, the strongest playing XI, and strengths and weaknesses.

DC IPL 2026 Squad Analysis

Delhi Capitals retained a strong core including Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, and Tristan Stubbs. They bolstered the squad by trading in Nitish Rana from the Rajasthan Royals. They have done well enough to plug the gaps exposed last season by roping in the likes of David Miller, Ben Duckett, and Kyle Jamieson alongside in-form domestic talents like Auqib Nabi. 

Full DC IPL 2026 Squad

Nitish Rana, Abishek Porel, Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel (C), Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, David Miller, Ben Duckett, Auqib Nabi, Pathum Nissanka, Lungi Ngidi, Sahil Parakh, Prithvi Shaw, and Kyle Jamieson.

Delhi Capitals Strongest playing XI

• KL Rahul (wk)
• Ben Duckett✈️
• Nitish Rana
• Tristan Stubbs✈️
• Axar Patel (c)
• David Miller✈️
• Ashutosh Sharma
• Vipraj Nigam
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Mitchell Starc✈️
• T Natrajan
• Auqib Nabi (Impact player)

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DC IPL 2026 Squad Strengths

• The Spin Trio: Delhi Capitals boasts a diverse trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Vipraj Nigam, and Axar Patel, forming one of the best spin trios in the competition without affecting the balance of the squad. Nitish Rana will add further depth with his off-spin bowling. 

• Diverse Pace Attack: Delhi Capitals arguably boasts the second-best pace attack after the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026, with Starc, Natarajan, Auqib Nabi, Ngidi, and Jamieson providing swing, speed, and death bowling across phases.

• Proven Finishers: David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, and Ashutosh Sharma will look after the middle-order and finishing duties. Vipraj Nigam and Mitchell Starc also possess the ability to hit the ball long. 

DC IPL 2026 Squad Weaknesses

• Over-Reliance on KL Rahul: There is heavy reliance on KL Rahul. Prithvi Shaw is returning to IPL after a one-year gap, while Pathum Nissanka and Ben Duckett will be playing their first-ever IPL season.

• Left-Hand Heavy Batting Line-up: Their strongest playing XI forms a very left-hand batting heavy lineup, which includes only two right-hand batters. 

• Weak Backups: While their starting XI gives confidence of winning the title for the first time, their backup options are fragile and unknown. Apart from Karun Nair and Shaw, none of their backup options have played more than 25 IPL matches. 

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