Season at a glance:Delhi Capitals' IPL 2026 campaign unravelled for a combination of flaws, including inconsistent performances and ill-timed setbacks. The chopping and changing of personnel across both their batting and bowling units throughout the season never allowed them rhythm. Another recurring theme was the top order's failure to provide solid starts, repeatedly leaving the middle order with too much to do. While there were occasional fightbacks, DC found themselves on the wrong side of a couple of close contests that could have seen them through.

Their struggles were particularly pronounced at home, where they won just two of seven matches, for which the franchise frequently pointed to the inconsistency of the pitches in Delhi. Availability issues further dented their chances. Mitchell Starc's absence deprived the attack of its spearhead, while Lungi Ngidi's concussion sidelined one of their more effective bowlers for three games. Most damaging, however, was the collective failure of the bowling unit. Across pace and spin, the returns from both seasoned campaigners and newcomers were underwhelming. This forced more frequent changes to the lineup, ultimately making it another season to forget.

Player of the season: Among all their inconsistencies, KL Rahul stood out with yet another stellar season with the bat. He amassed 593 runs at an average of 45.61, including a record-breaking unbeaten 152 against Punjab Kings in Delhi's mammoth total of 264, albeit in a losing cause. Most notably, Rahul answered long-standing questions about his tempo at the top of the order, striking at 174.41 - a significant jump from his career IPL strike-rate of 139.14 - while maintaining his trademark consistency.

A stat that adds up: With an average of 39.92 and a strike rate of 23.8, Delhi's bowling unit was the second-worst in the competition by both metrics. Their inability to take wickets consistently proved a major factor in DC's underwhelming IPL 2026.

A mini-auction pick that...

- Looked a million bucks: Lungi Ngidi, snapped up at his base price of INR 2 crore, began the season filling in for pace spearhead Mitchell Starc at a time when DC preferred to devote three overseas slots to strengthen their batting. The South African was more than up to the task, finishing the high-scoring season with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 8.2. His well-disguised slower ball became a key weapon, making him a constant threat and one of DC's most reliable bowlers throughout the campaign.

- Didn't work out: Bought for INR 8.4 crore, Auqib Nabi Dar was their costliest signing, but the recent Ranji Trophy-winning pacer struggled to make an impact in his debut IPL season, leaking runs at 11.45 an over across four appearances.

Best match of the season: The stunning 211-run chase in Dharamsala stands out. Reeling at 74/4 in the ninth over after yet another top-order collapse, and with their season hanging by a thread, DC mounted a remarkable comeback through crucial contributions in the form of half-centuries from Axar Patel and the returning David Miller as well as Ashutosh Sharma's finishing act. The victory kept their playoff hopes alive heading into the final league game, only for it to be dashed on the last day because their fate wasn't entirely in their hands by then.

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being urgent need for introspection and 10, a celebration into the night - IPL 2026 for Delhi Capitals has been:A middling 5