Irfan Pathan picks DC playing XII after IPL 2026 auction; includes Team India all-rounder at No. 4

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has backed Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel to bat at No. 4 while unveiling his predicted Playing XII for the franchise following the IPL 2026 auction. The auction was held on Tuesday, December 16, with DC acquiring eight players.

Delhi Capitals strengthened their top order by securing the services of three openers: Ben Duckett for ₹2 crore, Pathum Nissanka for ₹4 crore, and Prithvi Shaw for ₹75 lakh. Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel on Wednesday, December 17, Pathan backed KL Rahul to open the innings alongside either Shaw or Duckett. He said:

“They have also picked up Pathum Nissanka. In T20 internationals, Pathum Nissanka is among the top three in the rankings. If you have a player like that, you get stability, because last year Delhi had problems with openers. They kept changing them so often that I wasn’t changing my clothes as frequently as they were changing openers. From that perspective, you now have a stable opener and multiple opening options. You have the option of Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka, and you will also see Prithvi Shaw there. So this is very good for Prithvi Shaw as well, that he has been given this opportunity.”

At No. 3, Pathan slotted in Nitish Rana, who was traded to the franchise from Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the auction. He then placed Axar Patel at No. 4, followed by Tristan Stubbs and new signing David Miller, who was acquired for ₹2 crore. Speaking about the southpaw, he said:

“David Miller at base price is an excellent deal, a really good bargain. Delhi needed a player like David Miller.”

Next, Pathan opted for Ashutosh Sharma and all-rounder Vipraj Nigam to complete his top eight.

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“Very big gamble has been taken” - Irfan Pathan reacts to DC’s ₹8.40 crore signing

Irfan Pathan also spoke about Delhi Capitals’ headline signing of uncapped Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi for ₹8.40 crore. He said:

“But a very big gamble has been taken on Auqib Nabi. I am very happy for Auqib Nabi. Back in 2018-19, when I was the mentor for Jammu and Kashmir, I saw him playing Under-23 cricket there. We upgraded him and brought him up. Now, seeing him succeed always brings happiness. He has already been outstanding in the Ranji Trophy. He can bowl yorkers and can also bat at the end. I wanted him to go to a team where there is some assistance for bowlers, because he does not have extreme pace, but he still bowls very well. The seam movement he gets is excellent. A big stake has been placed on him.”

Alongside Nabi, Pathan rounded off his DC XI by selecting Kuldeep Yadav and Mitchell Starc. For the Impact Player slot, he suggested Lungi Ngidi or T. Natarajan, depending on the team combination.

Irfan Pathan’s Delhi Capitals (DC) playing XII: KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw/Ben Duckett, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Auqib Nabi. Impact Player options: Lungi Ngidi/T. Natarajan.

Edited by Dev Sharma