Axar Patel confirms KL Rahul will open for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026
Back where he belongs
Rahul batted at number four for Delhi last season after the team opted to use two overseas players at the top of the order. The experiment worked well enough. He finished with 539 runs at a strike rate close to 150, his best output since scoring over 600 for Lucknow in 2022. But the Capitals want more from their powerplay this year and believe Rahul is the man to provide it.
"We will keep him as an opener," Patel told reporters. "He has done really well at the top throughout his IPL career. A good start sets the tone for the rest of the innings."
Head coach Hemang Badani and Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao have both backed the move. The numbers make a strong case. Rahul has scored 4,418 runs from 103 innings as an opener in the IPL at an average of 49.64, the best among all IPL openers with at least 1,000 runs. All five of his IPL centuries have come batting at the top.
Who opens alongside him?
With Rahul locked in at one end, Delhi are still deciding who goes with him. Pathum Nissanka, Abishek Porel and Prithvi Shaw are the main candidates. Nissanka's white-ball form makes him the likely pick, though Porel's hitting ability and Shaw's aggression offer different options depending on conditions.
Across 145 IPL matches in total, Rahul has piled up 5,222 runs at an average of 46.21 with five centuries and 40 half-centuries. He also became the first player to score centuries for three different IPL franchises last season.
A reunion with old rivals on April 1
Delhi begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium on April 1. Rahul has already faced his former franchise twice in IPL 2025, winning both matches, but April 1 brings a reunion at the Ekana Stadium. With his preferred batting spot restored and a point to prove, the Capitals will hope he comes out swinging from ball one.
