KL Rahul’s move from DC to KKR not happening unless marquee players traded in return- Reports

KL Rahul scored 539 runs for DC in IPL 2025 with one century and three fifties.

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, there are lots of rumors floating around about trades of various players, and one such player is KL Rahul. The ex-India all-format captain played for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025 and had an excellent season.

He scored 539 runs in 14 games for DC with one century and three fifties at an average of 53.90 and a strike rate of 149.72. His highest score was 112*, and he hammered 52 fours and 21 sixes in the tournament.

Given that KL Rahul is an opener and wicketkeeper, there was general interest in him from the Kolkata Knight Riders, who are looking for an Indian keeper-batter who can open the innings as well for them. That position has been a point of contention for them in the IPL 2025, with Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz failing to do justice to the position with the bat.

KL Rahul’s move to KKR falls through after franchise rejects ridiculous trade demands

KL Rahul’s possible transfer from DC to KKR comes after the batter scored 539 runs for DC in IPL 2025 with one century and three fifties. Riders is reportedly off the table, which is a huge development. Notably, in the recent few days, rumour mills stated that the star Indian keeper-batter was all set to move to the three-time winners for IPL 2026.

Two significant changes have occurred, according to a Cricbuzz article. First off, the Knight Riders’ refusal to let go of any of their best players in order to accommodate Rahul is the reason why KL Rahul’s trade from DC to KKR is off.

” The Knight Riders are known to be in lookout for a top-tier Indian wicketkeeper-batter who can also lead the side. Both Samson and Rahul fit that job profile, and preliminary discussions are believed to have taken place over both players. However, the Knight Riders are unwilling to part with any of their premium assets – be it Rinku Singh or Varun Chakaravarthy – in exchange for either Samson or Rahul. In that context, Rahul’s move to Kolkata appears unlikely, even if Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals were to successfully pull off the Samson trade,” read a Cricbuzz report.

In addition to KL Rahul, there was a rumor that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were considering signing Washington Sundar to replace Ravi Ashwin, who declared his retirement following the IPL 2025. Sundar is a lower-middle-order all-rounder who can bowl spin, which is what CSK is searching for.

But according to the Cricbuzz report, Ashish Nehra, the head coach of GT, has rejected the rumors. and informed the CSK of Sundar’s exclusion from the trade market prior to the IPL 2026.

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