IPL 2025 DC Retention List: Which 5 Players will be retained?

Delhi Capitals missed the IPL 2024 playoffs by a whisker despite a late surge in the competition. Delhi Capitals had a tough start after winning only one of the first five matches. However, they picked up the form during the second half of the competition but failed to qualify for the playoffs courtesy of an inferior net run rate.

Delhi Capitals had some notable performers, including the returning Rishabh Pant, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and Axar Patel. However, some big names also had a disappointing run, including David Warner and Prithvi Shaw.

Now, Delhi Capitals will be looking to build a strong squad for the next season as they are still searching for their first-ever IPL trophy. While the IPL governing body is yet to clarify the auction rules for the the IPL 2025, we are assuming that they are likely to franchise to retain five players (including two foreigners) just like the previous mega auction and there will also be one Right to Match (RTM) card. Meanwhile, in this post, we will take a look at the five players DC could retain for the IPL 2025.

1. Rishabh Pant

After staying out of action for an extended period of time after a life-threatening accident, Rishabh Pant made an explosive comeback to professional cricket in IPL 2024. The left-handed southpaw finished as DC’s leading run-getter with 446 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 155.40. The left-handed southpaw is also the skipper of Delhi Capitals and the franchise won’t let him go in any case.

2. Jake Fraser-McGurk

The young Aussie batter came in as a replacement for the South African pacer Lungi Ngidi. However, he made an instant impact with his thunderous batting. Jake Fraser-McGurk was the force behind DC’s strong run in the second half of the IPL 2024 as the right-handed batter scored 330 runs in just 9 games at an outstanding strike rate of 234.04. Delhi Capitals will now look at him as a long-term investment and will look to keep him with the franchise.

3. Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav is a rare commodity in the world of cricket courtesy of his left-arm chinaman bowling. He is a genuine wicket-taker in the middle overs and every skipper wants to have an option like him up his sleeve. Kuldeep Yadav bagged 16 wickets in 11 matches during the IPL 2024 at a brilliant strike rate of 16.1. If Kuldeep Yadav goes to the auction, all of the franchises will run behind him. Hence, Delhi Capitals will prefer to retain their star bowler.

4. Axar Patel

Axar Patel is arguably the best left-arm T20 bowler in India and his batting in the middle order is a big plus. An Indian all-rounder is worth gold in the auctions as all franchises like to secure such a talent. Axar Patel scored 235 runs and picked up 11 wickets in the IPL 2024. He had an economy rate of just 7.65 despite playing home games at such a high-scoring venue (Arun Jaitley Stadium). It will be a wise move for Delhi Capitals if they retain Axar Patel as his valuation might shot up in the auctions.

5. Tristan Stubbs

The power hitters and the finishes are always highly valued in the IPL auctions. Tristan Stubbs had a breakthrough season in the IPL as the South African batter scored 378 runs in 14 matches for DC. He averaged 54 and had an explosive strike rate of 190.90 during the IPL 2024. Delhi Capitals might release the batter but they are expected to use the RTM card to bring back him to the franchise depending on his value during the auctions.