New Delhi: KL Rahul is all set to open for Delhi Capitals in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). The 33-year-old will also don the gloves for the Delhi-based franchise. Last season, the veteran batsman initially featured in the middle-order, but a poor return from the big buy of Jack Fraser-McGurrick forced the think tank to move him to the top in search of a more consistent start.Rahul batted at No. 4, a position decided before the start of the season, in most games last season, but had a course correction after 11 league matches. The change in position reaped immediate rewards as Rahul scored an unbeaten 112 off 65 balls against the Gujarat Titans. However, it came down to a losing cause as the Shubman Gill-led unit chased down the 200-run target with the loss of ten wickets, with an over to spare.Rahul was the highest run-scorer for Delhi Capitals last year, scoring 539 runs in 13 games. Rahul’s strike rate was 149.72, his best since the 2018 edition. Delhi Capitals have started preparations for the upcoming season, and several preparation camps involving Indian players have already taken place in Delhi and Hyderabad. The coaching staff, led by head coach Hemang Badani and director of cricket Venugopal Rao, have turned their attention to the IPL after fulfilling their commitments for The Hundred. More clarity on the roles will come when captain Akshar Patel joins the squad.Delhi Capitals made some great purchases in the auction. They managed to get David Miller and Ben Duckett at their base prices. They also strengthened their bowling attack by adding Aqib Nabi, Lungi Ngidi and Kyle Jamieson.The Akshar Patel-led unit had a strong start last season but lost steam after losing at home to Mumbai Indians. The defeat derailed their momentum and some mediocre back-to-back performances pushed them out of the playoff race. When the league stage of the tournament ended, the Capitals earned the No. 5 seed.A strong Indian core, quality overseas selection and two world-class spinners in Axar and Kuldeep Yadav make the Delhi unit the team to watch this season. They will be hoping that their strong performance will end their long wait for a first IPL title.
