IPL 2026 Countdown | Capitals need to deliver at optimum capacity to fulfil their elusive dream

When the 19th season of the Indian Premier League gets underway on March 28, Delhi Capitals will renew its long-standing quest for the grand prize.

It is part of the enduring essence of the annual summer spectacle that each of the teams can dare to dream of a campaign culminating in victory on the night of the finale.

So far in DC’s existence, it has been an elusive dream. Royal Challengers Bengaluru was in the same boat until the beginning of the last edition, but finally found the stars aligning under the Ahmedabad night sky on June 3, 2025.

The core of the Capitals squad isn’t very different to the previous season, when the Axar Patel-led side lost its way after a sparkling start to finish fifth in the league table.

In a competition where the batters are braver than ever before, emboldened by the Impact Player rule, the onus of propelling DC to large totals rests primarily on K.L. Rahul, Tristan Stubbs and David Miller.

Strong base

While Rahul will shoulder the responsibility of laying a strong base as opener, the middle-order will have to be manned by the South African pair.

Among the domestic batters expected to complement this trio are the likes of Nitish Rana, Ashutosh Sharma, Abishek Porel and Sameer Rizvi. Nitish, who was traded to Delhi from Rajasthan Royals, adds further experience to the middle-order.

On the spin-bowling front, the franchise is well-stocked.

Along with Axar, whose chief role is to apply the squeeze on the scoring rate as a left-arm tweaker, there is the wrist-spin pair of Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam to provide breakthroughs.

But for the spinners to play an effective role, especially on pitches with negligible assistance, Mitchell Starc will have to ideally set the tone as the spearhead of the pace pack.

The left-armer may have retired from T20Is, but his skill-set under pressure continues to be at a premium in the slam-bang version.

A piercing gaze will also be cast on Jammu & Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi. In the wake of a landmark 2025-26 domestic season that witnessed the 29-year-old take 60 wickets in the Ranji Trophy as J & K won a maiden title, the medium-pacer from Baramulla has gained national prominence. With the world now watching, it is up to Nabi to build on his body of work.

For the Capitals to have a fair chance of fulfilling a deep-rooted desire, all these players have to deliver at optimum capacity.