Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel has confirmed that KL Rahul will open the innings for the team in Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026). The Karnataka keeper-batter was least used as an opener by the side in the previous season of the tournament, although he made 158 runs in just 3 innings while batting at the top of the order. With DC letting go of Jake Fraser-McGurk and Faf du Plessis, the side needs a solid opener and who could fare well in that role better than Rahul.
Rahul is DC’s new opener for IPL 2026
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Axar confirmed that Rahul will open the innings for DC in IPL 2026 in response to a question posed on the team’s opening woes. For the record, Rahul opened the innings for DC on just 3 occasions in IPL 2025, where he amassed 158 runs, including an unbeaten 112-run knock, at an average of 79 and a strike rate of 171.73. Of course, since he was used in the middle-order, his best came out while batting at number 4, as he amassed 219 runs from 7 innings while batting at that position, averaging 36.5 and maintaining a strike rate of 136.02.
“KL Rahul will open for Delhi Capitals,” Axar Patel said.
It is pertinent to point out that since making his debut in IPL in 2013, Rahul has scored must runs while opening the innings for a team. 4418 out of the 5222 runs that he has amassed in the league has come while he has batted at number 1 or 2. Even though he is considered a flexible batter who can bat anywhere where the team wants him to, he is at his best while opening the innings. DC may have finally made a sensible decision ahead of IPL 2026 by allowing him to open the innings.
| Position | Mat | Runs | Avg | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st position | 74 | 3349 | 54.01 | 139.07 |
| 2nd position | 29 | 1069 | 39.59 | 135.31 |
| 3rd position | 9 | 197 | 24.62 | 113.87 |
| 4th position | 18 | 543 | 41.76 | 132.76 |
| 5th position | 2 | 39 | 19.50 | 100.00 |
| 6th position | 3 | 25 | 25.00 | 147.05 |
| 11th position | 1 | 0 | — | 0.00 |
Last year, DC tried to experiment with their opening combination and it failed on most occasions. JFM was in no good form while du Plessis hardly contributed. Rahul’s elevation as opener could be the perfect answer to DC’s woes at the top of the order. He could very well partner with Prithvi Shaw or Pathum Nissanka to give DC the flying start that they need.
Cricket
Predicted Gujarat Titans Playing XI for IPL 2026: Shubman Gill to leave out Kagiso Rabada?
