Delhi Capitals IPL 2027: Pant Returns as a New Cycle Begins
Delhi Capitals enter IPL 2027 with Rishabh Pant back at the franchise and Kuldeep Yadav now with Lucknow Super Giants. The final DC squad and captain have not been announced. Axar Patel remains the latest officially listed captain, while reports say Sourav Ganguly will lead a new coaching group that Delhi Capitals have yet to unveil.
The retention list and December mini auction will settle DC’s squad. Pant’s return raises captaincy and wicketkeeping questions, while Kuldeep’s exit leaves a clear middle overs gap.
Delhi Capitals IPL 2027 team status
| Team detail | Latest position |
|---|---|
| Full name | Delhi Capitals |
| Short name | DC |
| Home city | New Delhi |
| Home ground | Arun Jaitley Stadium |
| Owner | JSW GMR Cricket Pvt Ltd |
| Current captain | Axar Patel |
| IPL 2027 captain | Not announced |
| IPL 2027 head coach | Sourav Ganguly reported, franchise announcement pending |
| IPL titles | 0 |
| Best IPL finish | Runners up in 2020 |
| IPL 2026 finish | Sixth, 14 points, net run rate minus 0.651 |
| IPL 2027 tournament window | 10 March to 15 May 2027 |
JSW Sports and GMR Sports own equal shares in Delhi Capitals. JSW is scheduled to manage the men’s team in 2027 and 2028 under their rotating operating arrangement, but ownership remains unchanged.
Is the Delhi Capitals 2027 squad confirmed?
No. The Delhi Capitals website currently displays a 25 player group after the Pant and Kuldeep trade, but this is not the final IPL 2027 squad. Retentions, releases, further trades and auction purchases can still change it.
| Squad area | Players in the latest Delhi Capitals pool |
|---|---|
| Wicketkeeper and batting options | KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Abishek Porel |
| Specialist batters | Ashutosh Sharma, David Miller, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Pathum Nissanka, Prithvi Shaw, Sahil Parakh, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs |
| All round and spin options | Axar Patel, Ajay Mandal, Madhav Tiwari, Rehan Ahmed, Tripurana Vijay, Vipraj Nigam |
| Pace options | Auqib Nabi, Dushmantha Chameera, Kyle Jamieson, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan |
Several players cover more than one role. Rehan Ahmed also arrived as Ben Duckett’s IPL 2026 replacement, making his retention status relevant. The IPL 2027 squads page will track the final roster.
What the Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav trade changes
Pant’s return is confirmed. On 23 June 2026, Delhi Capitals announced the trade: Pant moved back to DC and Kuldeep joined Lucknow Super Giants.
Pant previously played 111 matches for Delhi, scored 3,284 runs and captained the franchise. He returns as a left handed batter, wicketkeeper and experienced leader.
Kuldeep took 72 wickets in 65 matches for DC from 2022 to 2026. Axar provides left arm orthodox spin and Vipraj Nigam and Rehan Ahmed offer leg spin, but none directly replaces Kuldeep’s left arm wrist spin.
Pant, KL Rahul and Abishek Porel can all keep wicket. DC must decide who takes the gloves, where Pant and Rahul bat and how Porel fits, rather than forcing every recognised name into one eleven.
Three leaders give DC one major captaincy decision
Delhi Capitals have not announced their IPL 2027 captain. Axar led in 2025 and 2026 and remains captain on the IPL profile. Pant and Rahul also have IPL captaincy experience.
Pant’s return does not automatically remove Axar. Delhi finished sixth under him in 2026 but ended with three straight wins. Any change must improve match management without reducing either player’s on field value.
For now, Axar is the current captain and the 2027 appointment is pending. Pant has not been confirmed as captain.
Delhi’s reported coaching reset for IPL 2027
Hemang Badani led the 2026 staff, with Ian Bell as assistant coach and Munaf Patel handling the bowlers. The ownership rotation is bringing a new leadership group for 2027.
ESPNcricinfo reports that Ganguly is set to become head coach, with Yuvraj Singh as a senior assistant. Chaminda Vaas and Amit Mishra are reported as the fast and spin bowling coaches.
| Coaching role | Latest known status |
|---|---|
| Head coach in IPL 2026 | Hemang Badani |
| Head coach for IPL 2027 | Sourav Ganguly reported, announcement pending |
| Senior assistant | Yuvraj Singh reported, announcement pending |
| Fast bowling coach | Chaminda Vaas reported, announcement pending |
| Spin bowling coach | Amit Mishra reported, announcement pending |
Vaas and Mishra have reportedly started with DC academy players, but the franchise has not published the appointments. These roles remain reported until then.
Why a 7 and 7 record still left Delhi outside the playoffs
DC won seven and lost seven league matches in 2026, finishing sixth with 14 points and a net run rate of minus 0.651. Rajasthan Royals claimed the final playoff place with 16 points, leaving Delhi one win short.
KL Rahul scored 593 runs, while DC’s next highest batter, Pathum Nissanka, made 278. That 315 run gap shows the reliance on Rahul, whose unbeaten 152 against Punjab Kings was the highest individual IPL score by an Indian batter.
Lungi Ngidi led DC with 13 wickets. Axar Patel and Mitchell Starc took 11 each, while Kuldeep claimed 10. Delhi had several useful contributors, but no bowler moved beyond 13 wickets across the season.
Three closing wins came too late to repair the points deficit and net run rate. Moving from fifth in 2025 to sixth in 2026 also rules out treating the result as one unlucky finish.
The four squad problems DC must solve before the auction
The IPL 2027 mini auction is due in India in December 2026. Delhi’s purse and open slots depend on releases, so role gaps matter more than predicted target lists.
Replace Kuldeep’s middle overs wicket threat
Kuldeep’s angle and ability to dismiss set batters are hard to replace. A proven wrist spinner or another middle overs wicket taker should rank above a duplicate batter.
Settle the Pant, Rahul and Porel roles
Rahul anchored the 2026 batting, Pant needs room to attack and Porel needs a route into the side. The balance may change by opponent, but each requires a defined job.
Build a pace attack that survives absences
Overseas limits and player availability prevent Starc, Ngidi, Chameera and Jamieson from forming one permanent unit. Indian pace depth must cover the powerplay and death when a first choice bowler is absent.
Choose overseas players by function
Delhi should assign their four overseas slots to clear top order, finishing and bowling jobs before buying another prominent name. Confirmed moves will appear on the IPL 2027 auction and IPL 2027 trades pages.
Arun Jaitley Stadium is not a one type venue
Arun Jaitley Stadium is DC’s home ground. Its surface can reward pace changes and spin, but conditions vary. In 2026, Sameer Rizvi made 90 from 51 balls on a slow pitch against Mumbai Indians. Later, Rahul’s 152 helped DC reach 264 for 2 against Punjab Kings there.
DC need batters who can create pace when the pitch grips and bowlers who can defend on better batting surfaces. One fixed combination will not suit every home match.
The BCCI has not released Delhi’s match by match 2027 fixtures. The IPL 2027 schedule and Arun Jaitley Stadium guide will carry confirmed dates, opponents and match times once published.
Delhi Capitals are still chasing their first IPL title
The franchise began as Delhi Daredevils in 2008 and changed its name to Delhi Capitals in December 2018. Its best finish came in 2020, when DC reached the final and lost to Mumbai Indians.
Delhi topped the 2021 league stage but lost in Qualifier 2, then missed five straight playoffs from 2022 through 2026. IPL 2027 will be their 20th season, after one final and no title in the first 19.
Progress depends on turning a capable player pool into defined roles, a positive net run rate and a top four finish. Results will update on the IPL 2027 points table.