5 Players DC might release ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Delhi Capitals finished IPL-2025 with plenty to build on and a few roster headaches. Retention decisions in the IPL are rarely sentimental, and franchises weigh price, availability, role overlap and on-field impact. Here are five players Delhi could realistically consider releasing before the IPL-2026 auction, and why each move would make sense.

1. Faf du Plessis

Faf arrived as an experienced personified. He is a proven T20 run-getter who also filled a leadership role as DC’s vice-captain. But du Plessis is a high-profile overseas signing who takes an overseas slot every game he’s available for, and DC’s top order already needs flexible Indian solutions (younger openers, impact players). 

Keeping Faf guarantees leadership and a safe top-order option, but it also burns an overseas spot and a retention budget that could be redeployed to shore up Delhi’s seam depth or buy a guaranteed full-season overseas pacer. His performance in the previous season certainly did not help his case, as he struggled to score runs.

2. Jake Fraser-McGurk

Fraser-McGurk showed why franchises paid top dollar for him. When he fired, he could win games in the power play itself and destroy the opposition. He had a phenomenal IPL 2024 season where he belted bowlers to score 330 runs from nine games at a stupid strike rate of 234.04 in the season.

However, he could not carry the form over to the next season as he struggled really badly in 2025. He could only score 55 runs in six innings, close to a strike rate of just 100. An expensive overseas batter with streaky returns and availability issues makes him an obvious auction-room choice. Release him, then try to buy back cheaper or reinvest in a more consistent powerplay option sounds like a better plan.

3. Mukesh Kumar

Mukesh remains one of India’s more promising seam options, and DC leaned on him during 2025. He featured in most of DC’s fixtures and finished the season with 12 wickets to his tally. Not only that, he was apparently adjudged as the most expensive bowler of the season with his economy being measured at 10.32.

His economy and a couple of public discipline incidents were highlighted in match reports. Plus, he’s an Indian pacer whose price tag (RTM buyback) creates salary pressure. If Delhi want to use that purse to buy an experienced death specialist or to invest in a senior overseas seamer, Mukesh could be a tradeable asset.

4. Mohit Sharma

Mohit Sharma is a seasoned death-overs bowler with a long IPL resume. DC signed him in the 2025 auction to bring experience into the pace group. In 2025, he was used as depth and an occasional specialist. He has the kind of profile teams keep if they want a veteran death option. 

The flip side is that Mohit occupies a domestic seam slot that a younger, cheaper, higher-workload pacer could occupy permanently and could be hoped for a longer tenure than him. Releasing Mohit would free a domestic place and a modest chunk of purse to back a full-time Indian seam prospect. He could pluck just two wickets in the eight games he played in the season, which might compel the team to release him.

5. Karun Nair

Karun Nair’s comeback story had one bright moment when he played a big 89 for DC in a dramatic chase and gave the team late impetus, but he was not a regular during the season. DC used him as a middle-order reinforcement rather than as a long-term top-six solution. 

That’s exactly the profile franchises often release - a good-enough bat with short-term impact but limited long-term upside compared with young Indians who can be developed and retained cheaply. Other than playing that 89 innings, he could not contribute much and scored just 198 runs in eight matches.

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