The IPL 2027 mini-auction is scheduled to be held in Goa on December 16.
Newly-appointed Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that the franchise is prioritizing the return of Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk and West Indies veteran Shai Hope at upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
The IPL 2027 mini-auction is scheduled to be held in Goa on December 16, while the player retention deadline has been extended to November 17.
"We have two overseas players in our sights. We want to bring in Australia's Fraser McGurk and West Indies' Shai Hope," Ganguly quoted as saying by Anandabazar Patrika.
Fraser-McGurk joined the Capitals as a replacement player in IPL 2024 at a base price of Rs 50 lakh, and he immediately took the tournament by storm.
Recognizing his raw power, DC deployed their Right to Match (RTM) card at the subsequent mega-auction to retain him for a staggering Rs 9 crore.
Across his appearances for the franchise, he has amassed 385 runs in 15 matches, playing at an astonishing strike rate of 199.49.
On the other hand, Hope's stint with DC lasted for just the 2024 season. While he was roped in for Rs 75 lakh at the IPL 2024 auction, the franchise chose to release the West Indies white-ball captain ahead of the next cycle.
During his single season with Delhi, Hope played 9 matches, scoring 183 runs at an average of 22.87 and a strike rate of 150.00. Following his release, he went unsold in the subsequent IPL auction.
Delhi Capitals have assembled a star-studded coaching staff for IPL 2027. Apart from Ganguly as head coach, the franchise has signed Yuvraj Singh, Chaminda Vaas and Ami Mishra as assistant/batting coach, fast bowling coach and spin bowling coach, respectively.
The restructuring follows a management rotation agreement between co-owners GMR Sports and JSW Sports.
Additionally, DC have brought back Rishabh Pant in a trade with Lucknow Super Giants, sending Kuldeep Yadav the other way. They have also traded left-arm pacer T Natarajan to Sunrisers Hyderabad in exchange for leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari.
Delhi Capitals missed out on the IPL playoffs during both the 2025 and 2026 seasons under the previous coaching staff led by Hemang Badani. During those two years, the team's tactical shortcomings, auction strategies, and overall recruitment processes faced significant criticism from fans and experts alike.
While Ganguly has been with DC since 2019 in roles such as Advisor and Director of Cricket, this marks his first time stepping into the dugout as the chief coach of an IPL franchise.