As the Women’s Premier League (WPL) gears up for its electrifying 4th edition from January 9 to February 5, 2026, with the first phase at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the second at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, Delhi Capitals, now led by the newly announced skipper Jemimah Rodrigues, stand poised to shatter their heartbreaking streak of three consecutive runner-up finishes.
Under former captain Meg Lanning, the Capitals dominated every league stage: topping the table with 12 points from 8 matches (6 wins, 2 losses) in 2023 before falling to Mumbai Indians in the final; repeating the feat with 12 points in 2024 only to lose a thriller to Royal Challengers Bengaluru; and securing first place again with 10 points from 8 games in 2025, yet missing the title once more. Their campaign kicks off on January 10, 2026, against defending champions Mumbai Indians (led by Harmanpreet Kaur) at 7:30 PM IST in Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.
Ahead of the November 27, 2025, Mega Auction in New Delhi, Delhi strategically retained a powerhouse core, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, and Marizanne Kapp at ₹2.20 crore each, plus Under-19 World Cup-winning skipper Niki Prasad at ₹50 lakhs, for a total of ₹9.30 crore, blending Indian firepower with global experience.
With Annabel Sutherland opting out for personal reasons and replaced by Australian leg-spinner Alana King, the auction delivered standouts like South African captain Laura Wolvaardt (₹1.10 crore) for leadership stability post-Lanning’s departure to UP Warriorz (₹1.9 crore), Chinelle Henry (₹1.30 crore), ex-SA keeper Lizelle Lee (₹30 lakhs), young left-arm spinner Shree Charani (₹1.30 crore, re-signed), Sneh Rana (₹50 lakhs), the spin duo from India’s World Cup winning squad, and Minnu Mani (₹40 lakhs), marries youthful exuberance, all-round depth, and proven performers.
Delhi Capitals WPL 2026 Squad:
Jemimah Rodrigues (C), Shafali Verma, Alana King, Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Laura Wolvaardt, Deeya Yadav, Taniya Bhati, Lizelle Lee, Mamatha Madiwala, Chinelle Henry, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, N Sree Charani, Lucy Hamilton, Nandani Sharma
Delhi Capitals SWOT Analysis for WPL 2026
This SWOT analysis dissects Delhi Capitals’ Strengths in their retained batting core and spin options, weaknesses exposed by Lanning’s exit and Sutherland’s absence, opportunities in Wolvaardt’s calming influence and auction versatility, and threats from fierce rivals like Mumbai Indians, evaluating if this revamped unit can finally claim the elusive WPL crown.
Strengths: Batting core and Potent Spin Department
Despite missing out on the former skipper Meg Lanning, Delhi Capitals covered the bases well by retaining three out of their top five run-scorers of the tournament, with the likes of the newly appointed skipper and the dynamic Indian batter, the hero of India’s semi-final triumph against Australia, Jemimah Rodrigues (507 runs at a strike rate of 139.66, and an average of 28.16 in 24 innings and 27 matches) and the Player of the Match in a World Cup final, the destructive young sensation Shafali Verma (865 runs at a strike rate of 162.59, including 6 half-centuries in 27 matches) alongside one of the world’s best all-rounders, and a fierce Proteas veteran Marizanne Kapp (362 runs at a strike rate of 126.13 and an average of 32.90 in 19 innings and 24 matches) before of the mega auctions on November 27 2025.
The Capitals took a massive step in filling in the void left by Meg Lanning by signing the ODI World Cup runners-up South African skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, at a price of 1.10 CR in the auction, adding calm and tactical nuance in the leadership department to assist the new skipper, Jemimah Rodrigues, throughout the season. Even though Jemimah Rodrigues will be making her WPL debut as a skipper, she has been a calm and composed leader, guiding Mumbai to a title in the white-ball senior domestic tournaments. They’ve also added solid firepower with the inclusion of the likes of former South African wicket-keeper batter Lizelle Lee and Caribbean muscle in Chinelle Henry.
As far as the bowling department is concerned, they’ve re-acquired the services of their spin duo of Sree Charani and Minnu Mani. The addition of off-spin all-rounder Sneh Rana has added the much-needed experience to the spin department. However, with the departure of Radha Yadav to RCB, the Capitals have lost a bit of an X factor in the fielding department. The late addition of leg-spinner Alana King as a replacement for Annabel Sutherland has further added potency in the spin attack.
Weakness: Lack of domestic options in the pace department
A glaring vulnerability in Delhi Capitals’ squad for WPL 2026 lies in the paucity of domestic pace bowling options, leaving them overly reliant on overseas all-rounders like Marizanne Kapp, Lucy Hamilton and Chinelle Henry for firepower in the fast-bowling department. This imbalance could prove costly on varied pitches at DY Patil and Kotambi Stadiums, especially if injuries strike the foreign contingent or conditions favour seam movement, echoing past finals where bowling depth faltered under pressure.
Opportunities: Time for the Indian core to take the spotlight
The added responsibility of captaincy for Jemimah Rodrigues could bring out the best of her as a batter. The likes of Shafali Verma have matured in leaps and bounds with the influence of her former opening partner, Meg Lanning, in terms of building the innings and taking the innings deep. She is only poised to get much better and wiser as she’ll be joined by the South African skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, as her fellow opening partner for the upcoming season.
India’s Under-19 World Cup winning skipper Niki Prasad showed promising glimpses of her talent and potential in the previous edition with impressive performances under pressure, which earned her a spot in the retention list. She could be in for an elevated role in the middle order this season.
Delhi Capitals Schedule for WPL 2026:
- January 10, 2026: Vs Mumbai Indians. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 11, 2026: Vs Gujarat Giants. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 14, 2026: Vs UP Warriorz. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 17, 2026: Vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 20, 2026: Vs Mumbai Indians. Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 24, 2026: Vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 27, 2026: Vs Gujarat Giants. Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. 7:30 PM IST.
- February 01, 2026: Vs UP Warriroz. Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. 7:30 PM IST.
Delhi Capitals’ blend of retained stars like Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Niki Prasad and Marizanne Kapp with auction gems such as Laura Wolvaardt and Sneh Rana equips them with formidable batting depth and spin variety, though vulnerabilities in domestic pace options and leadership transition post-Meg Lanning demand tactical caution. Opportunities abound in Jemimah’s captaincy poise and versatile all-rounders to exploit rivals’ weaknesses, but threats from powerhouses like the Mumbai Indians loom large on the DY Patil and Kotambi pitches. Ultimately, strategic rotations and emergence from youngsters like Shree Charani could propel this perennial bridesmaid to WPL 2026 glory.
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