Prithvi Shaw for DC (Source: AFP)
The Delhi Capitals will continue the pursuit of their first title in IPL 2026, as they head into their 19th season of the competition. Axar Patel will continue to lead them second season in a row after he replaced the departing Rishabh Pant in 2025.
Ahead of IPL 2026, they have made some changes in their roster, which saw the experienced Faf du Plessis leaving, alongside Jake Fraser-McGurk. Prithvi Shaw made a return to the franchise and local boy Nitish Rana was also traded in before the auction.
They have kept their core intact and look like a settled batting unit, led by the likes of KL Rahul at the top and captain Axar Patel in the middle-order. So, here's a breakdown of Delhi Capitals' predicted batting order for IPL 2026.
Top-order batters- KL Rahul (wk), Abishek Porel, Nitish Rana
The Delhi Capitals released Faf du Plessis ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, and the South African batter did not register for another season. They went on to buy Ben Duckett and Pathum Nissanka as potential replacements, but neither is likely to start the competition at the top.
According to the latest reports, KL Rahul is set to be slated to open the innings for DC in IPL 2026 after a fantastic season, racking up 539 runs at a strike rate of 149.72 last year. He will bat alongside the 23-year-old Abishek Porel, who has risen the ranks in the DC setup and become a crucial member of the team in the last two seasons.
In the last two seasons, Porel is their second-highest run-scorer, just 50 runs behind Tristan Srubbs at a very good strike rate. He will be ahead of the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Duckett and Nissanka to open the batting.
Prithvi Shaw, who has played 79 matches for the franchise before he went unsold in IPL 2025, has 1892 runs at a strike rate of 147.46 for them. He will have to wait for his turn and for someone to slip up to get a shot at opening the innings.
| Criterion | Tristan Stubbs | Abishek Porel | KL Rahul |
| Innings | 26 | 25 | 13 |
| Runs | 678 | 628 | 539 |
| Avg/SR | 52.15/170.78 | 28.54/153.17 | 53.90/149.72 |
| Highest | 71* | 65 | 112* |
| 50/100 | 3/0 | 3/0 | 3/1 |
(Most runs for DC since IPL 2024)
The two will be followed by their latest signing from the Rajasthan Royals, Nitish Rana. He is a local boy from Delhi, who has played all his cricket at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and knows the conditions and dimensions well. In IPL 2025, he scored 217 runs in 11 innings with two fifties, striking at 162.
After Karun Nair blew hot and cold last summer, Rana is likely to topple him and start the season at 3.
Also Read: Players Who Might Not Play Single Match For Delhi Capitals In IPL 2026
Middle-order batters- David Miller, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma
One of the smartest buys for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026 auction was David Miller for the base price of INR 2 crore. The experienced middle-order batter has time and again proven to be a dangerous finisher, who can build on some good starts.
He also had a good time in the recent T20 World Cup, especially with a 63(35) vs India and will be DC's first choice number 4 to bat in the middle and death overs to get some time and unleash at the end.
Captain Axar Patel will bat as a floater in the batting order, who can come in and bat anywhere between numbers 4 and 7 as per the team's requirement. He has consistently improved his power game and scored 263 runs last season at a strike rate of 157.48.
As mentioned in the above table, Tristan Stubbs will be DC's finisher in IPL 2026 after he embraced his new role last season and played crucial cameos lower down the order. His notable partnership came with KL Rahul, adding 111* (55) runs from 58/4 to chase 164 against RCB.
After KL Rahul moved up the order, Stubbs will share the finishing responsibility with Ashutosh Sharma, who can hit sixes at will and also won DC their season opener with a 66*(31) vs LSG from 65/5 to chase down 210 runs with only 1 wicket in hand in the final over. He has 393 runs in 18 IPL innings at an impressive strike rate of 163.75.
Impact Player- Sameer Rizvi
Delhi Capitals can use the 22-year-old explosive batter, Sameer Rizvi, as their first-choice impact player after he ended IPL 2025 with a 25-ball 58* against the eventual finalists, Punjab Kings. He was used in a similar role throughout the season and scored 121 runs at a strike rate of 153.15.
Ideally, he will be their finisher alongside Stubbs and Ashutosh and can also stop collapses while batting at number 4 or 5. In the recent UPT20, he was the second-highest scorer with 491 runs in 10 innings, striking at 161.51. The UP20 exploits will instil confidence in the DC management to give him some chances.
Delhi Capitals' probable batting order for IPL 2026: KL Rahul (wk), Abishek Porel, Nitish Rana, David Miller, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma. Impact player- Sameer Rizvi.
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