13 Cr Star Out Of Plans; Players Delhi Capitals Should Release Before IPL 2027

Delhi Capitals - (Source: AFP)

On Sunday, May 24, Delhi Capitals concluded another IPL season without a trophy. The 19-year-long wait for silverware continues as the Axar Patel-led side finished 6th on the table with 14 points in 14 matches.

The only positive for the Capitals in the entire tournament was that they finished the campaign on a high with three straight wins and a victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in their last group-stage match at the Eden Gardens.

Now, since the season is over, the Delhi Capitals have already begun preparing for IPL 2027. For that, they need to free up space in the squad to get a purse and go in the IPL 2027 auction. Therefore, this article will shed light on the players that DC must release before IPL 2027 and how much purse value they can generate from it.

1. Karun Nair - 50 Lakhs

Karun Nair was retained by the Capitals for 50 lakhs ahead of IPL 2026. The 34-year-old had a good IPL 2025, where he amassed 198 runs in 8 innings. However, he failed to perform this season, and scored just 18 runs in 2 innings.

Karun Nair was at the centre of heavy criticism and rightly so, because he let down the Capitals not just with the bat but also in the field. In the two opportunities provided with the bat, Nair failed to convert any of them.

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Also, in the Punjab Kings match, where DC had to defend 265 runs, he dropped two crucial catches of Shreyas Iyer, resulting in a defeat for the Axar Patel-led side.

Data	Criteria
Innings	2
Runs	18
Average	9.00

2. T Natarajan - 10.75 crores

T Natarajan was at the centre of heavy discussion ahead of IPL 2026 because the left-arm seamer was mysteriously absent from IPL 2025 after the Capitals roped in him for 10.75 crores. Talking about his stats this season, the 35-year-old got off to a great start but lost his track mid-season.

Natarajan has picked up just 5 wickets in 10 innings with an economy of 11.18. Interestingly, Natarajan went 6 games wicketless in IPL 2026, which forced the Capitals to rethink their bowling combination. Eventually, DC took the hard call and dropped the left-arm seamer from their line-up.

With Natarajan getting released ahead of IPL 2027, it will help Delhi Capitals free up 10.75 crores in their purse.

Data	Criteria
Innings	10
Wickets	5
Economy	11.18

3. Mukesh Kumar - 8 crores

Delhi Capitals’ bowling was their biggest concern, and another seamer that might be shown the door is Mukesh Kumar. The right-arm seamer was retained for a whopping 8 crores. However, his performance let the team down, and it seems the right time for the Axar Patel-led side to now look beyond him.

Talking about IPL 2026, the 32-year-old has picked up just 6 wickets in 10 innings. Not taking enough wickets in one and bowling with an economy above 11 is another reason why the Capitals now need to release the right-arm seamer.

Data	Criteria
Innings	10
Wickets	6
Economy	11.27

4. Rehan Ahmed - 2 crores

Notably, during the IPL 2026 auction, DC signed Ben Duckett for 2 crores, who ditched them at the last moment and left IPL 2026 to play for England. It had repercussions as the BCCI banned him for two years.

As a replacement, DC bought Rehan Ahmed for just 75 lakhs. The England player didn’t get a solitary game this season and is most likely to be released, as Delhi Capitals will then get a purse of 2 crores.

5. Kuldeep Yadav - 13.25 crores

One of the biggest shocks of the season could be the release of Kuldeep Yadav. Yes, its true that a franchise must support a player of his level even after one bad season, but it seems that the Capitals must look for a new spinner in the team.

Kuldeep Yadav picked up 10 wickets in 11 innings, and his best came in DC’s last group-stage match, where he picked up three wickets. Notably, with Kuldeep Yadav’s release, the Capitals can free up to 13.25 crores.