DC Retention List: KL Rahul, Starc and Stubbs lead Delhi Capitals’ core for IPL 2026; check full list of retained players

Delhi Capitals have released the full list of players retained for the IPL 2026 season and have created a balanced group of batsmen, all-rounders, wicketkeepers and bowlers. The franchise enters the upcoming auction with R21.8 billion in its purse and eight slots to fill, five of which are abroad.

Ahead of the auction, Delhi finalized two trade deals. While Rajasthan Royals sent Nitish Rana to DC for his current fee of Rs 4.2 lakh, DC moved South African all-rounder Donovan Ferreira to RR with his fee revised from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 billion. Rana played 11 matches for RR last season and scored 217 points with an average of 21.70, most of which came in third place. The two-time IPL winner had previously won the titles in 2017 and 2024. Ferreira, who debuted for RR in 2024, spent the 2025 season in Delhi before returning to the first IPL team.

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DC retained Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Karun Nair, Ferreira, Rana and Jake Fraser-McGurk in the batting unit. The retention group continues with KL Rahul and Abhishek Porel, offering stability in the top and middle order.

The essence of versatile talents remains deep. Axar Patel continues to be a major asset with his spin and batting. Aayush Badoni, Vicky Ostwal, Mahipal Lomror, Tripuranha Vijay, Ajay Mandal and Manav Suthar provide multiple options at different stages of the match.

Also Read: Mumbai Indians Retention List: Arjun Tendulkar traded, Sherfane Rutherford signed – full list of released and retained players
The bowling attack was kept intact. Kuldeep Yadav leads the spin department while Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande and T Natarajan continue as the main pace options. Darshan Nalkande and Mohit Sharma add more experience and depth.
Players Retained in DC
Batsmen: Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Karun Nair, Donovan Ferreira (traded), Nitish Rana (Rs 4.2 cr in trade), Jake Fraser-McGurk
Goalkeepers: KL Rahul, Abhishek Porel
They are versatile: Axar Patel, Aayush Badoni, Vicky Ostwal, Mahipal Lomror, Tripuranha Vijay, Ajay Mandal, Manav Suthar
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, T Natarajan, Darshan Nalkande, Mohit Sharma

Remaining Bag: Rs 21.8 crore
Remaining Slots: 8 (5 abroad)

With a stable structure across departments and funds to strengthen weak areas, Delhi Capitals enter the IPL 2026 auction with the flexibility to improve their squad and build a more competitive unit for the new season.