The JSW and GMR co-owned Delhi Capitals had a busy WPL 2026 auction building a strong and well-balanced team for the season.
How did the Delhi Capitals strengthen their Indian core after retaining Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues?
After retaining Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues Delhi Capitals strengthened their Indian core by signing N. Shree Charani and Sneh Rana giving them four players from Indias recent World Cup-winning squad. South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt was also added for Rs 1.10 crore. She led her team to the ODI World Cup runners-up spot and scored the most runs in the tournament 571 in 9 matches. In the WPL she has played 13 games scoring 342 runs.

The team also signed Chinelle Henry for Rs 1.3 crore. The West Indies all-rounder known for her big-hitting and finishing skills has played 65 WT20Is scoring 522 runs and taking 22 wickets. She also holds the joint-fastest fifty in WPL history.

N. Shree Charani who debuted for DC last season was bought back for Rs 1.3 crore after a tough bidding battle. She was one of Indias top bowlers at the ODI World Cup with 14 wickets. Sneh Rana purchased for Rs 50 lakh also contributed key all-round performances during Indias title run.

Delhi Capitals balanced experience with youth by signing former South African opener Lizelle Lee for Rs 30 lakh and 16-year-old Haryana batting talent Deeya Yadav for her base price of Rs 10 lakh.

The team also reacquired Taniya Bhatia (Rs 30 lakh) and Minnu Mani (Rs 40 lakh) both long-time members of the franchise. Young talents Mamatha Madiwala (Rs 10 lakh) Nandani Sharma (Rs 20 lakh) and Lucy Hamilton (Rs 10 lakh) were added at their base prices bringing fresh energy to the squad.

Speaking on the make-up of the squad Head Coach Jonathan Batty said “I’m really pleased with what DC have done. We came in with five strong retentions and built the rest of the team around that. We’ve now got a very strong starting eleven and I’m absolutely delighted that we secured those high-quality Indian spinners we knew it would be tough so getting them over the line was a big positive for us.

Walking away from the table today I think we’re in a really good place. There are several strong leadership candidates in the group. When we announced the retentions a lot of people asked about leadership especially after letting Meg go which was a really tough decision and we did try to get her back in the auction. But we know we already have a lot of leaders within the squad he added.

Parth Jindal Co-owner of Delhi Capitals and Founder of JSW Sports said Obviously we went as far as we could for Meg but in Laura we’ve secured a tremendous player who can fill those shoes. She was the highest run-scorer in the recent World Cup and brings leadership qualities that will make her a great addition to the dressing room. We’re also very excited about our strengthened spin attack with Shree Charani and Sneh Rana. With Henry joining us the squad looks extremely balanced.

We’ve reached three finals and it’s time to go one step further. Everything went to plan and the team executed our preparations perfectly. Delhi Capitals have a history of unearthing players who go on to become superstars for India and our scouting network has once again identified both foreign and domestic talent who will make a real impact. We all saw what Shree Charani did last year; she’s now a superstar for Team India and we’re excited about what the new additions bring to the table he concluded.
Delhi Capitals full squad for WPL 2026:



Player
Role
Price (INR)




Shafali Verma
Batter
2.20 Crore


Jemimah Rodrigues
Batter
2.20 Crore


Annabel Sutherland
All-rounder
2.20 Crore


Marizanne Kapp
All-rounder
2.20 Crore


Niki Prasad
All-rounder
50 Lakh


Laura Wolvaardt
Batter
1.10 Crore


Chinelle Henry
All-rounder
1.30 Crore


N Shree Charani
All-rounder
1.30 Crore


Sneh Rana
All-rounder
50 Lakh


Lizelle Lee
WK-Batter
30 Lakh


Deeya Yadav
Batter
10 Lakh


Taniya Bhatia
WK-Batter
30 Lakh


Mamatha Madiwala
WK-Batter
10 Lakh


Nandani Sharma
Bowler
20 Lakh


Lucy Hamilton
Bowler
10 Lakh


Minnu Mani
Bowler
40 Lakh