IPL 2026: 3 Players DC should release ahead of mini-auction

Delhi Capitals (DC), led by Axar Patel, had an up-and-down IPL 2025 season. They began the tournament strongly and seemed on track to reach the playoffs. But as the season moved forward, they lost form and struggled with consistency.

In the end, they finished fifth on the points table with 15 points from 14 matches, missing the playoffs by a small margin. A few players, including some big Indian and overseas names, also failed to perform as expected. The mini-auction for the next season is expected to take place in Abu Dhabi in mid-December 2025.

Here are the 3 players DC should release before the mini-auction

Jake Fraser-McGurk

The young Australian opener is known for his attacking starts at the top. Jake Fraser-McGurk was impressive in IPL 2024, scoring 330 runs in nine innings with a strike rate of 234.04. Because of that strong season, DC backed him again for 2025.

However, 2025 turned out to be a very poor year for him. In six matches, he scored only 55 runs, averaging 9.16 and striking at 105.76. After such a tough season and considering he is an overseas player, DC may think about releasing him before IPL 2026.

T Natarajan

DC surprised many fans when they spent ₹10.75 crore on left-arm pacer T Natarajan but used him in only two matches. It was later revealed that he was struggling with fitness issues, which stopped DC from giving him more chances.

In the one match he bowled, he gave away 49 runs in three overs without taking a wicket, finishing with an economy of 16.33. Because of his fitness problems, DC might release him ahead of IPL 2026 to free up a large amount of purse money.

Mitchell Starc

Seeing Mitchell Starc on this list may surprise many supporters. However, now that he has retired from T20 internationals, there is a possibility that he may not make himself available for future IPL seasons. Over the years, Starc has often skipped the IPL because of workload management.

With no T20I responsibilities left, the chances of him opting out of the IPL become higher, which could force DC to release him even if they prefer not to. In IPL 2025, he took 14 wickets in 10 innings with an economy rate of 10.16.

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