KL Rahul joined the Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 14 crore ahead of last season during the mega auction. It was expected that he would be given captaincy, but it was Axar Patel who went on to lead the side. He had a brilliant outing with the bat during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, amassing 539 runs in just 13 innings in the 2025 season.
Ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, there were rumours of the wicketkeeper-batter potentially moving out of the franchise through a trade. However, the 33-year-old was eventually retained by the franchise.
Former Chennai Super Kings batter Subramaniam Badrinath questioned whether Rahul is entirely happy at the Delhi Capitals, highlighting the frequent changing of his batting position last season.
“Every year, the batting order is their conundrum, especially where KL Rahul should bat. I believe KL Rahul wants to open the innings. But, on the other side, the team management wants him to bat in the middle order,” Badrinath said, speaking on his YouTube channel.
“This seems to be an ongoing conflict. They definitely have to solve this issue. It is unclear whether KL Rahul is happy in DC,” he added.
The Capitals have bolstered their squad with some key signings after finishing just outside the top four in the previous season. They have roped in overseas opening batters Pathum Nissanka and Ben Duckett, while re-signing Indian batter Prithvi Shaw.
The middle order also looks stacked, with Nitish Rana, David Miller, and Tristan Stubbs being in the mix. Ashutosh Sharma is the designated finisher in the side, while Sameer Rizvi is also expected to play in some matches at least.
Rahul has been one of the most consistent players in the last 12 months for India in Tests and ODIs. However, he has not played T20I cricket for India since the semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup against England.
As there is no crisis of cricketing talent in India, with new youngsters impressing every year, performing well in IPL 2026 could be key for the Karnataka stalwart as he looks to earn a recall to India’s T20I squad.
