Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: KL Rahul is all set to open for the Delhi Capitals in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). The 33-year-old will also don the gloves for the Delhi-based franchise. In the previous season, the experienced batter initially featured in the middle order, but poor returns from the big buy Jake Fraser-McGurk forced the think tank to promote him to the top in search of more stable starts.Rahul batted at No. 4, a position decided before the season started, in most games last season, but a course correction occurred after 11 league matches. The change in position reaped instant rewards as Rahul hit an unbeaten 65-ball 112 against the Gujarat Titans. However, it came in a losing cause as the Shubman Gill-led unit overhauled the 200-run target with ten wickets in hand, and an over to spare.Rahul was the Delhi Capitals’ leading run-getter last year, scoring 539 runs in 13 games. Rahul’s strike rate was 149.72, which marked his best since the 2018 edition. Delhi Capitals have started preparations for the upcoming season, and the multiple preparatory camps featuring Indian players have already happened in Delhi and Hyderabad. The coaching staff, led by head coach Hemang Badani and Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, has shifted focus to the IPL after fulfilling their commitments for The Hundred. More clarity on roles will emerge when captain Axar Patel links up with the squad.Delhi Capitals had made some smart purchases in the auction. They managed to acquire David Miller and Ben Duckett at their base prices. They also strengthened their bowling attack by adding Auqib Nabi, Lungi Ngidi and Kyle Jamieson.The Axar Patel-led unit had a strong start in the last season but lost steam after losing to the Mumbai Indians at home. The defeat derailed their momentum and some ordinary back-to-back performances pushed them out of the playoff race. Capitals finished No.5 when the league stage of the tournament ended.A strong Indian core, quality overseas picks and two world-class spinners in Axar and Kuldeep Yadav make the Delhi unit the team to watch this season. They will hope their strong performance ends their long wait for a maiden IPL title.
