3 players DC must target at the IPL 2026 auction ft. Quinton de Kock 

The Delhi Capitals (DC) are expected to be active at the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. They remain one of the most unsuccessful franchises in the history of the tournament and will no doubt be keen on setting the record straight during the upcoming campaign.

The Capitals have quite a few overseas slots to fill on the roster, with key roles across the batting and fast-bowling departments up for grabs. Although their decision to trade away Donovan Ferreira didn't make any sense, Delhi are expected to approach the auction in a smart manner.

Players released: Donovan Ferreira (traded to RR), Darshan Nalkande, Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Manvanth Kumar, Mohit Sharma, Sediqullah Atal

Players retained: Nitish Rana (traded in from RR), Abishek Porel, Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mukesh Kumar

On that note, here are three players DC must target at the IPL 2026 auction.

#3 Quinton de Kock

Pakistan v South Africa - ODI Series: Game 1 - Source: Getty

DC need a quality overseas opening batter. Quinton de Kock seems to have found a new lease of life since returning to international cricket, and having been released by the Kolkata Knight Riders, he could fit the bill for the Capitals.

De Kock's explosiveness at the top of the order and ability to target the square boundaries would be useful at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. His experience would also be useful for the likes of Sameer Rizvi and Abishek Porel to learn from, making him a prime candidate to be targeted at the auction.

#2 Auqib Nabi

DC need some quality Indian fast bowlers. Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan don't add enough to the pace department by themselves, and a fresh face would go a long way in making the team stronger.

Auqib Nabi has been making the headlines in recent times. He can swing the new ball and also execute yorkers well at the death, having carried his red-ball form into the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The J&K pacer is even capable of hitting a few big ones down the order.

DC's Indian pace unit looks thin, and Nabi would be valuable in that regard even if he isn't a sureshot starter.

#1 Venkatesh Iyer

2025 IPL - Delhi Capitals v Kolkata Knight Riders - Source: Getty

Delhi also need quality Indian middle-order batters. Karun Nair and Rizvi are currently their main options in the top five, with KL Rahul's ideal position still uncertain. A left-hander who can take on both spin and pace would be useful for the Capitals.

Iyer might not fit DC's budget, but he's definitely someone they can fight for. His stocks could be low following the disappointing year he had for the Knight Riders, and batters of his IPL experience won't be easy to come by during the auction.

Edited by Sai Krishna