Star batsman KL Rahul will open the batting for the Delhi Capitals in the 2026 IPL season, according to captain Axar Patel.
KL Rahul batted in the middle order for the Delhi Capitals, mostly at number 4, after being signed as the team’s star player in the 2025 Mega Auction. He amassed 539 runs in 13 innings, including a stunning century and three half-centuries.
Rahul was playing in the middle order because of team combinations, according to Axar Patel. Rahul’s skills were required in the middle order to counter the spinners because DC’s two openers last season were Jake Fraser-McGurk and Faf du Plessis. After the young Australian player was no longer included in the starting lineup, Rahul eventually rose back to the top.
“Last year, he was playing in the middle order because of our team combination. The players we had there were two foreign players, who could play in the top order, and, if you make foreign players play in the middle order, then teams use spin more,” Axar said at the pre-season press conference.
The captain went on to say that Rahul performs best at the opening position, where he has scored a lot of runs. Rahul could provide them the necessary start at the head of the order, he emphasized.
“So, because of this, we used KL Rahul in the middle order last year. He has always been good, in the opening slot, he has made a lot of runs. And if you get a good start in T20 cricket, then it becomes easier for the ones at the back. So, I think till now, we will keep him as an opener,” he added.
With 4,418 runs from 103 games, KL Rahul is notably ranked eighth on the IPL’s all-time run-scorers list. In the history of the prestigious T20 tournament, he is one of just eight players who have amassed more than 4,000 lifetime runs.
In relation to IPL 2026, Axar Patel’s team will begin play on April 1 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow against the Lucknow Super Giants. They will strive for glory in 2026 after finishing fifth the previous season.
