The Delhi Capitals are perhaps, if you think about it, the perpetuating enigma of the IPL. Perpetuating, but how so? They are among the truly gifted sides with that crazy spark of brilliance to have not
won a single title as on date. That stings, as it should and why won't that be the case? After all, ever since the inception of the Indian Premier League itself, circa 2008, the beating heart line of franchise cricket or as Delhites would love to call it, the team that plays in the, "big daddy of premier leagues" hasn't yet won a title. But in reality, winning titles takes a lot more than just being talented. Anyone school-grade passionate cricket fan would tell you that it takes a lot more than just zeal and enthusiasm to lift titles.
Think of the venerable MS Dhoni at his peak at CSK. The thinking genius that he had to apply himself and his critical thinking more than the big, audacious sixes that his pantheon of talent including Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, too were apt at hitting. Isn't it? Takes more than the enterprise of youth; experience, and strategy to win an IPL title as interesting and challenging as the Indian Premier League. Now that Delhi Capitals, who have some of the most interesting and challenging names with them, enter another season, not too long from where we are at present, let us think about the talents that could be retained if DC are to go big in what lies ahead.
3 Players Delhi Capitals could retain ahead of IPL 2026 mini-auction
Tristan Stubbs
Stubbs brings the excitement and capability to tilt a game, fearlessly so, in favour of the teams he plays for. He's done that on more than one occasion for his national Protea white-ball team. He did that pretty much all season last year for DC wherein he scored 300 runs, to be precise, and only from 13 innings. It may seem too many an inning, but just how lower down the order does the avid youngster comes to bat at, we ought to remember!
That being said, Stubbs is fearless and bats with a sense of elan. Last season he averaged 50, which did deserve to have content created around it with the headline IPL 2025's most under appreciated stat.
But as per always, focus remained with 'bigger' more salable names, not the quiet and earnest man from the land of the Protea fire.
Faf du Plessis
Faf is a lion. It's as simple as that. No, it's a bit complicated. So what is it? He's a lion operating in the skin of a human. He's been courageous. He's cool. And in an era where focus often, if not always, rests on Virat Kohli's fitness (which is outstanding), Faf is not far behind. On the contrary, he may just have bigger muscles, but before the whole of north India gets to ruin the life of the author for only speaking the truth (nothing against the batting demigod that Virat Kohli is), Du Plessis' also got the relevant experience that could get DC to ace the tournament they are yet to win.
How so? Besides north of 4500 IPL runs, he's scored 11906, to be precise, in all of T20 format and he's anything but done yet. That is when he is 41 years of age.
KL Rahul
The monk with the bat and the quiet intelligence and now, the long locks; KL Rahul is a man like few others. He's one of the sweetest batters around and also among those rare ones who love to focus for long periods of time.
He's very, very critical to DC. In the absence of great names and established players such as Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer (2015-21 with DC), both of whom being critical components of Delhi at one point, Rahul has a key role to play to assist his captain, Axar Patel.
May Rahul, Faf and Stubbs all stay back to lift a team that does need a lift and a move on toward greater glories than they have achieved thus far in the preeminent T20 franchise competition.
FAQs
For how many other IPL teams has DC's Faf du Plessis played so far?
Faf du Plessis, apart from his current stint at DC, has played for CSK and RCB.
Who is Delhi Capitals' wicketkeeper as seen in IPL 2025?
KL Rahul kept the wickets in IPL 2025 for DC.
