KL Rahul Set to Open for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026

As the IPL 2026 season approaches, Delhi Capitals' captain Axar Patel has announced that KL Rahul will return to his role as an opener. This decision comes after Rahul's stint in the middle order last season, which was influenced by team composition. Patel believes that Rahul's experience and success at the top will provide crucial advantages for the team. With impressive statistics as an opener, Rahul aims to lead the Capitals to a successful campaign starting April 1 against LSG in Lucknow. Read on to discover more about Rahul's impact and the team's strategy for the upcoming season.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 23, 2026, 17:27 IST

KL Rahul to Return as Opener

As the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) approaches, Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel has shared insights on KL Rahul's batting position. Last season, Rahul played in the middle order due to the team's structure, which featured two foreign top-order players. Patel highlighted Rahul's historical success as an opener, suggesting that placing him at the top of the order will facilitate strong starts in T20 matches, thereby benefiting the middle-order batsmen.

The IPL is scheduled to commence on March 28, with Delhi Capitals kicking off their campaign against LSG on April 1 in Lucknow.

"Last year, we positioned him in the middle order because of our team dynamics. We had two foreign players who were suited for the top order, and placing them in the middle would have led to increased spin bowling against us," Patel explained to reporters. "KL Rahul has consistently performed well as an opener, accumulating significant runs. A solid start in T20 cricket simplifies the task for those batting later. Therefore, we plan to utilize him as an opener moving forward," he added.

An Elite IPL Opener

KL Rahul stands out as one of only six players in IPL history to have scored over 4,000 runs as an opening batsman. He has amassed 4,418 runs from 103 matches, maintaining an impressive average of 49.64 and a strike rate of 138.14. Other notable players on this list include Shikhar Dhawan (6,362 runs), David Warner (5,910 runs), Virat Kohli (5,009 runs), Chris Gayle (4,480 runs), and Faf du Plessis (4,004 runs).

In the previous season, Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk opened the innings during the tournament's initial phase. Rahul, who initially batted in the middle order, returned to the opening slot after Fraser-McGurk struggled with his form. Despite the Capitals not making it to the playoffs, Rahul delivered several remarkable performances at the top.