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Delhi Capitals (DC) have built a formidable squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. The last season saw them finish sixth in the table with seven wins in 14 games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs due to an inferior net run rate than Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who also had the same victories.
Ahead of the auction, they retained four players – Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Abishek Porel. The Capitals chose to release their captain, Rishabh Pant, who scored the most runs for the side last season.
Nevertheless, they made some quality buys in the form of KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, Mitchell Starc and Harry Brook, while bringing back Mukesh Kumar and Jake Fraser-McGurk. On that note, let’s take a look at what their best XI shapes look like for the 2025 season.
1. KL Rahul (c)
The seasoned performer, KL Rahul was bought by Delhi Capitals for INR 14 crores. He will likely serve as a leader of the side and continue his strong showing in the cash-rich league.
In the last three editions, Rahul slammed 1,520 runs for Lucknow Super Giants with two centuries and 10 fifties. The star batter has the capability to carry the bat and help the team post a quality score on the board.
2. Jake Fraser-McGurk
The Australian batter stunned the cricket fraternity with his ball-striking last season for Delhi Capitals. He smashed 330 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 234.04, with four fifties.
Jake Fraser-McGurk hit 84 off 27 against Mumbai Indians to help the side register their highest-ever IPL total of 257 and win the game by 10 runs.
3. Abishek Porel (wk)
The southpaw shone bright in the 2024 edition with 327 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 159.51. In particular, Porel slammed 25 runs off Harshal Patel’s single over, including two sixes and three fours.
As a result of his impressive performance, Porel was retained by DC. He will likely bat at No. 3 in the upcoming season.
4. Tristan Stubbs
The Proteas batter returned as the second-highest run-scorer for the Capitals with 378 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 190.90, with three fifites. He turned as the tormentor for Mumbai Indians with his imperious knock of 71 off 25 balls.
Along with recovering the team from trouble, Stubbs was sensational to provide a fiery finish in the death overs. He will again be the key player in the middle-order.
5. Harry Brook
One of the finest red-ball batters in the last two years, Harry Brook was purchased by DC for INR 6.25 crores. The price was certainly due to his expertise across all formats.
In 144 T20s, Brook has garnered 3,350 runs at a strike rate of around 150, with three hundreds. The 2023 edition saw him score 190 runs in 11 innings for Sunrisers Hyderabad, while scoring a solitary century.
6. Axar Patel
A utiliity player across all formats, Axar Patel was retained by the Delhi Capitals. The last season saw him score 235 runs and take 11 wickets in 14 games. He produced his career-best performance of 66 off 43 balls against Gujarat Titans, which eventually helped the side to win the game.
7. Ashutosh Sharma
The right-hander played some explosive knocks for Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 to create a strong impression. In nine appearances, Ashutosh Sharma smashed 189 runs at a strike rate of 167.25.
Sharma’s finest knock of 61 off 28 balls came against Mumbai Indians, which saw him making a strong statement on playing some blinders for the side. He will don the role for the Delhi Capitals in the 2025 season.
8. Mitchell Starc
The veteran Aussie pacer, Mitchell Starc emerged as the most expensive acquisition in the IPL auction last year. He impressed with clutch performances in the playoffs and went on to finish the season with 17 wickets for title-winning Kolkata Knight Riders side.
After not getting retained by KKR, he was purchased for INR 11.75 crores by the Capitals. Along with taking crucial wickets with the new ball, Starc would look to keep the batters quiet in the death overs with his searing yorkers.
9. Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav has been one of the finest bowlers for Delhi Capitals in the last three seasons. He has 47 wickets in 39 appearances at an economy of 8.13.
The reason for him getting retained was due to his wicket-taking acumen and ability to bounce back strongly after failures. Along with taking wickets in the middle-order, Kuldeep also bowled well in the death overs as well.
10. Mukesh Kumar
The right-arm pacer impressed the cricket fraternity with his wickets at regular intervals, which broke the back of the opposition teams. He emerged as the joint-highest wicket-taker for the Delhi Capitals with 17 scalps.

Mukesh will likely be used in the powerplay and the middle-overs, and could again be among the top bowlers for the side.
11. T Natarajan
The left-arm pacer, T Natarajan received a bid of INR 10.75 crore by Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2025 auction. With 67 wickets in 61 IPL appearances, Natarajan has displayed his talent to the world in the last few years.
Natarajan produced his best-ever season in the last edition, picking 19 wickets in 14 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad. With his toe-crushing yorkers and change-ups, Natarajan will be a boon to the DC side in 2025.
Impact Players: Faf Du Plessis, Mohit Sharma
FAQs
When did Delhi Capitals last qualified for the playoffs?
2021
How many RTMs did DC use in IPL 2025 auction?
2