KL Rahul's role in IPL 2026 revealed; Delhi Capitals' last season's problem is likely to be resolved
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Rahul scored 539 runs for DC in the last IPL season.
KL Rahul has always remained one of the most talked-about players in the IPL despite falling out of favour in India’s T20I setup. Despite this, the wicketkeeper-batsman holds immense value in ODIs and Test matches, but his strike rate in the shortest format over the last few seasons has surprised many.
After captaining Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, Rahul joined the Delhi Capitals last year without any leadership responsibilities. Last season, he just focused on his batting and wicketkeeping responsibilities.
But last season threw up some interesting challenges for Rahul. The Capitals started with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Faf du Plessis opening the batting and pushed Rahul into the middle order. He adapted well initially and seemed comfortable in that role.
But when Fraser-McGurk struggled for runs and du Plessis picked up an injury, the team management sent Rahul back to the opening position. The constant shuffling didn’t hurt his personal numbers too much as he finished with 539 runs from 13 matches at a strike rate of 149.72, which was actually pretty impressive.
However, the frequent changes to the batting order created chaos around him. While Rahul managed to adjust and deliver decent performances wherever he batted, the rest of the lineup never found any rhythm or clarity about their roles.
Delhi kept playing musical chairs with their batting positions throughout the tournament, and that lack of stability meant other batsmen struggled to build any consistency. The side eventually missed out on a playoff spot, which made the whole approach look even more questionable
Rahul set to open in IPL 2026
According to TOI’s Sahil Malhotra, the Delhi Capitals have reportedly decided to fix Rahul’s batting position at the top of the order for IPL 2026.
KL’s numbers back up that move, too. The Karnataka-born player has scored 4,418 runs in 103 IPL matches, including 5 centuries and 36 half-centuries. His overall strike rate stands at 138.14, backed by 391 fours and 179 sixes across his IPL career spanning from 2013 to 2025.
The upcoming season also carries extra significance for Rahul for other reasons, too. He has never hidden his desire to make a comeback into India’s T20I team, and a strong IPL showing with a settled role at the top could help him make that case to the selectors.
How many runs has KL Rahul scored while opening in the IPL?
Rahul has scored 4418 runs while opening in the IPL.
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Ajay Gandhar has been part of Khel Now since 2023 and has expertise across a wide range of Olympic sports. While his coverage spans the Olympic spectrum, he is passionate about Badminton, Tennis, Football, and Track and Field. Beyond his primary focus areas, Ajay is also an avid kabaddi enthusiast and closely follows the sport.