IPL 2025: 5 DC players who didn't do well, but can be retained for IPL 2026

By establishing clear roles, balancing workloads, and spending on off-season specialist coaching, Delhi Capitals can convert 2025's disappointing charts to 2026's match-winning performances. These five franchise players didn't click this season, but all possess a skill set or experience that makes a compelling case for retention for IPL 2026.

1. Axar Patel

Anticipated to be DC's spin-bowling anchor and lower-order batsman, Axar contributed 263 runs and 5 wickets in 12 games, but never turned games around single-handedly. His economy (8.47 while bowling) dipped compared to earlier seasons, and batting contributions—convenient as they were—fell short of match-changing.

Apart from figures, Axar's worth is his composure under pressure and his ability to secure one end with consistent length and line. With a young team, his guidance and capacity to wear down middle-overs can't be acquired overnight. A slight adjustment in his bowling patches and a defined batting role could get Axar back to the manner in which he was unstoppable.

2. Faf du Plessis

Drafted in to shore up DC's opening order, Faf scored 202 runs in 9 innings at a 123.9 strike rate, including two half-centuries, but too many starts prematurely abandoned. He frequently seemed hurried, not rotating the strike when the pitch required it and losing his signature panache in times of pressure.

Faf's experience and leadership are of immense value beyond the batting graph. His level head in the dressing room and understanding of game situations add depth to DC's tactics. Slipping him to No. 3 to restore his confidence, or allotting him a more variable role, may assist him in regaining the consistency which made him one of the world's great white-ball batsmen.

3. T. Natarajan

Purchased for his deadly yorkers, Natarajan's campaign was truncated by choice: he played only two games, giving away 49 runs in his first three-over spell before being dropped. Batters had little chance to experiment with him, and his figures stand at 0 wickets with an economy of more than 16.33.

When Natarajan is playing, his toe-crushing yorker is a death-over weapon that very few can handle. His limited opportunities in 2025 obfuscated his actual contribution. With a more streamlined rotation plan—providing him with blips of two to three overs in conducive conditions, and rest to deal with his workload, DC can tap into his distinctive left-arm angle and bring him back to the wicket-taking machine he's shown himself to be.

4. Tristan Stubbs

Praised as an aggressive finisher, Stubbs scored 300 runs in 14 games at an excellent average, but without any half-centuries. His top score of 41 displayed his clean hitting, but he tended to bat in uneven situations, never able to gain momentum.

Stubbs's clearance of the rope and his ability to rotate strike make him a force to reckon with in the last overs. A clear batting role—swinging about at No. 5 with permission to go big—and guidance on pacing an IPL match could transform those 30s and 40s into winning 70s and 80s.

5. Karun Nair

Signed on a stabiliser role, Karun showcased his class with an 89 against MI but finished with 198 runs in 8 innings, dotted with starts that never came good. His textbook style at times surrendered to hesitant acceleration, softening his presence in crunch chases.

Karun's lineage, a Test triple-centurion, speaks to his capacity for playing long innings. Plugging him in as a finisher who can absorb pressure early, complemented by power-hitting drills to refine his middle-over acceleration, can unleash the big scores DC require from their middle order.

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