IPL team likely to sack captain, entire coaching staff next season after poor 2026 performance: Report

As the Indian Premier League 2026 season moves towards its climax, teams have begun dissecting their journey so far. The ones who faltered and failed to deliver now find themselves under intense criticism.

One such franchise is the Delhi Capitals, who have endured a rollercoaster season marked by heavy defeats to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kolkata Knight Riders and the Chennai Super Kings. Mathematically, they are still in playoff contention, but inconsistencies have disrupted their trajectory.

Skipper Axar Patel's captaincy has come under scrutiny after scoring 100 in nine innings at a strike rate of 112.50. The DC captain bowled just 36 overs in 12 matches, securing ten wickets at an economy rate of 8.08.

Considering the poor numbers, there are concerns about whether the Indian all-rounder would lead DC's charge next season.

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Captaincy shift imminent in DC?

Sources have said that Axar has failed to prove himself as a capable leader for DC and has heavily relied on coaches Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao to make decisions. Moreover, considering the situation, it would 'be a miracle' if he retained captaincy next year.

The report added that the Capitals' coaching staff is unlikely to be retained due to the team's underwhelming performance.

"With Axar completely failing to prove his leadership worth and mostly being dependant on Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao for decision making, it will be a miracle if he retains captaincy next year. The entire coaching staff is also unlikely to be retained," an IPL source said to PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Notably, DC has a unique setup in which the co-owners -- JSW and GMR -- have split management responsibilities in alternate periods. In the next season, Parth Jindal and JSW would be in power.

The Delhi Capitals’ tactical blunders affected the franchise’s start, and their reluctance to play batter Abhishek Porel and failing to manage all-rounder Madhav Tiwari came under the scanner. With the power shift being imminent in the next season, a leadership shake-up appears likely.

Other IPL skippers also under scrutiny

Beyond Patel, skippers Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant have also come under the radar for their inability to deliver this season, raising doubts about whether they will lead their respective franchises next year.

The Lucknow Super Giants have been officially eliminated from the playoff race, but KKR are still in the running despite their six-wicket defeat to RCB on Wednesday.