KL Rahul confirmed to open for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026

Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel has stated that star batter KL Rahul will be opening the batting for the Capitals in the 2026 IPL season. 

Signed as Delhi Capitals’ marquee batter in the 2025 Mega Auction, KL Rahul batted in the middle order for the Delhi Capitals, primarily at number 4, amassing 539 runs in 13 innings, including a brilliant century and three half-centuries.

Axar Patel has stated that the reason Rahul was playing in the middle order was due to team combinations. DC had Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk as their two openers last season, which meant Rahul’s services were needed in the middle order to combat the spinners. Rahul later returned to the top after the Australian youngster did not feature in the playing XI any further.

"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 skipper further added that Rahul’s best comes at the opening slot, where he has made a lot of runs. He emphasised that Rahul could provide them with the start needed at the top of the order.

"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.

Notably, Rahul is seventh in the all-time run-scorers list in the IPL, with 4,418 runs from 103 matches. He is one of only eight players to have scored more than 4,000 career runs in the history of the marquee T20 tournament.

Speaking of IPL 2026, Axar Patel’s men start their campaign against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium, Lucknow, on April 1. They had finished fifth last season but will aim for glory in 2026.