Delhi Capitals have closed their trading window for IPL 2027, ending weeks of speculation around two of their key players. Axar Patel and Ashutosh Sharma will both stay with the franchise for the new season, and the team has made it clear that no more trades are coming from their side before the mini-auction in Goa.
“There will be no more trades as far as Delhi Capitals are concerned,” a source told India Today, confirming the franchise’s stance a week before the retention deadline. The trade window itself stays open for another week, but Delhi have finished their business early after completing two trades.
The rumour mill had linked Axar with a move to Chennai Super Kings, reportedly in a deal involving Dewald Brevis and Noor Ahmad, while Ashutosh was said to be attracting interest from Gujarat Titans. Delhi’s decision puts both rumours to bed. SportsTak confirmed that Axar and Ashutosh will not be traded or released ahead of the mini-auction.
Delhi’s two completed trades have already reshaped their squad. They brought back former captain Rishabh Pant from Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 15 crore, with the wicketkeeper-batter taking a Rs 12 crore pay cut, and gave Lucknow left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in return. They then traded left-arm pacer T Natarajan to Sunrisers Hyderabad in return for wrist-spinner Zeeshan Ansari.
Axar’s retention does not settle the captaincy question, which Delhi are yet to decide. Axar has captained Delhi in 27 games, winning 13 and losing as many, with one game ending in no result. The other options are Pant, who has led Delhi in 43 games across four seasons with 24 wins, and KL Rahul, who has won 31 of his 64 games as captain across two franchises.
On the field, Axar had a mixed IPL 2026. He scored 173 runs from 11 innings at an average of 19.22 and a strike rate of just over 131, with a single fifty, and took 11 wickets at an average of 32.72. Delhi made a strong start but finished sixth with seven wins and seven defeats from 14 games, and they have not reached the playoffs since 2021. Ashutosh, meanwhile, was used sparingly but made his chances count, scoring 171 runs in eight innings at an average of 34.20 and a strike rate of 181.91. He may get a bigger role next season, and he can also contribute with the ball.
Delhi have also revamped their coaching group, with Sourav Ganguly as head coach, Yuvraj Singh as batting coach, Chaminda Vaas as pace-bowling coach and Amit Mishra coaching the spinners. The picture will be clear on November 17, the deadline for franchises to announce their retained and released players, with the mini-auction to follow in Goa on December 16.
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