IPL 2026: DC Playing 11 probables, players' salary, timings, live streaming

Delhi Capitals will take on Lucknow Super Giants in their opening match of IPL 2026 on April 1

Delhi Capitals enter IPL 2026 with renewed clarity after a campaign last season that promised much but faded late. Despite a strong start in IPL 2025, DC lost momentum in the second half and finished fifth, narrowly missing out on the playoffs. The inconsistency largely stemmed from frequent changes at the top of the order, which disrupted stability and rhythm.

 

Ahead of the new season, the franchise has focused on refining roles and improving balance. The additions of David Miller, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka and Lungi Ngidi strengthen both depth and flexibility. With a solid core featuring KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs, Kuldeep Yadav and Mitchell Starc, Delhi now appear better equipped to sustain performance and mount a strong title challenge.

 

 

Keeping all this in mind, let’s take a look at how DC’s playing 11 could look heading into IPL 2026.

How DC’s playing 11 could shape up in IPL 2026

Top order: DC are likely to have a little tough time choosing their top order for IPL 2026. While they are expected to have Abhishek Porel opening the innings and KL Rahul coming in at number three, as in IPL 2025, there is expected to be a toss-up for the second opener’s spot between Karun Nair and Pathum Nissanka.

 

Nair performed well in the limited chances he got for DC last year, but Nissanka is coming in with red-hot form from the T20 World Cup 2026, including a ton against Australia, putting him in contention for the spot.

 

Middle order: DC’s middle order is sorted, with South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs and David Miller likely to take the number four and five spots in the batting order.

 

Lower middle order: Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam are likely to retain their roles in the lower middle order, with skipper Axar Patel once again expected to play a floater role for the Capitals.

 

Bowlers: In bowling, Kuldeep Yadav will more than likely be seen leading the spin attack, while Lungi Ngidi and Mukesh Kumar are set to take up the lead pacers’ roles. DC are also expected to add Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi Dar in the playing 11, given his sensational run in the domestic circuit, which includes him finishing as the top wicket-taker of the Ranji Trophy 2026.

 

The unavailability of Mitchell Starc has put them in some trouble, but not as much once he returns, as DC are likely to either switch between him or Ngidi or drop either Mukesh or Nabi from the pace battery once the Australian is available again.

 

Impact players: In the Impact Player section, DC are likely to use Ashutosh Sharma once again, as they did in 2025. However, they can also choose to add T Natarajan as a probable Impact Player option if the situation demands an extra pacer.

 

DC probable playing 11 for IPL 2026: Abhishek Porel, Karun Nair / Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel, Vipraj Nigam, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Auqib Nabi Dar

 

Impact players: T Natarajan / Ashutosh Sharma 

IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals full squad and players' salary

Players bought by DC in IPL 2026 Auction
Sr. No.	Player	Base Price	Winning Bid	Capped/Uncapped
1	Auqib Dar	₹30,00,000.00	₹8,40,00,000.00	Uncapped
2	Pathum Nissanka	₹75,00,000.00	₹4,00,00,000.00	Capped
3	Kyle Jamieson	₹2,00,00,000.00	₹2,00,00,000.00	Capped
4	Lungisani Ngidi	₹2,00,00,000.00	₹2,00,00,000.00	Capped
5	Ben Duckett	₹2,00,00,000.00	₹2,00,00,000.00	Capped
6	David Miller	₹2,00,00,000.00	₹2,00,00,000.00	Capped
7	Prithvi Shaw	₹75,00,000.00	₹75,00,000.00	Capped
8	Sahil Parakh	₹30,00,000.00	₹30,00,000.00	Uncapped

 

Delhi Capitals retained players
Player	Type	Base (INR Cr)	Sold (INR Cr)
Axar Patel	AR	-	16.5
KL Rahul	BAT	2	14
Kuldeep Yadav	BOWL	-	13.25
Mitchell Starc	BOWL	2	11.75
T Natarajan	BOWL	2	10.75
Tristan Stubbs	BAT	-	10
Mukesh Kumar	BOWL	2	8
Harry Brook	BAT	2	6.25
Abishek Porel	BAT	-	4
Ashutosh Sharma	AR	0.3	3.8
Sameer Rizvi	AR	0.3	0.95
Dushmantha Chameera	BOWL	0.75	0.75
Vipraj Nigam	AR	0.3	0.5
Karun Nair	BAT	0.3	0.5
Madhav Tiwari	AR	0.3	0.4
Tripurana Vijay	AR	0.3	0.3
Ajay Mandal	AR	0.3	0.3

IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals full schedule

Match No.	Date	Opponent	Venue	City	Time (IST)
5th Match	Apr 1, 2026	Lucknow Super Giants	Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium	Lucknow	7:30 PM
8th Match	Apr 4, 2026	Mumbai Indians	Arun Jaitley Stadium	Delhi	3:30 PM
14th Match	Apr 8, 2026	Gujarat Titans	Arun Jaitley Stadium	Delhi	7:30 PM
18th Match	Apr 11, 2026	Chennai Super Kings	MA Chidambaram Stadium	Chennai	7:30 PM

IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals matches live streaming and telecast details

When will Delhi Capitals start their campaign in IPL 2026?

 

Delhi Capitals will start their IPL 2026 campaign on Wednesday, April 1.

 

Who will Delhi Capitals face in their opening game of IPL 2026?

 

Delhi Capitals will take on Lucknow Super Giants in their opening match of IPL 2026.

 

Where to watch live telecast of Delhi Capitals matches in IPL 2026 in India?

 

The live telecast of all the IPL 2026 matches of Delhi Capitals will be available on Star Sports Network in India.

 

Where to watch live streaming of Delhi Capitals matches in IPL 2026 in India?

 

The live streaming of all the IPL 2026 matches of Delhi Capitals will be available on the JioHotstar app and website in India.