The IPL (Indian Premier League) 2026 season is all set to kick off on March 28, and ahead of the season, the 10 franchises are gearing up to put in their best performances in hopes of getting their hands on the marquee title. Ahead of the new season, many eyes will be set upon Delhi Capitals.ย
Still in search of their very first IPL title, the prestigious trophy has always eluded Delhi Capitals, and the side will hope for an improved showing as they gear up for the IPL 2026 season. With the first game approaching, Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel came forward and talked about the batting position of star batter KL Rahul.ย
When asked about the squad composition and Capitals having several openers in their ranks, like Ben Duckett, Abishek Porel, Pathum Nissanka, and Axar, KL Rahul was asked whether his role in the XI had been discussed.ย
โLast year, he was batting in the middle order because of the team combination. We had two foreign players last year, who could only bat at the top order. We couldn’t try to play them in the middle order because they could have been vulnerable against the spinners. So, we used KL Rahul in the middle order last year,โ Axar Patel answered India TV’s query in the pre-tournament press conference.
โHowever, due to injuries and combination, we promoted him. He was an experienced player, so we made that change. I’m not sure I’ll play him in the same position again. But yes, he has done well as an opener, made so much of runs. In T20 cricket, it’s necessary to have a good start, as it makes it easy for the lower order batters,โ he added.
Delhi Capitals to take on Lucknow Super Giants to kick off IPL 2026 season
Speaking of Delhi Capitalsโ schedule, the side will kick off their IPL 2026 season by taking on Lucknow Super Giants. The two sides will lock horns at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on April 1.ย
Both sides failed to make it to the knockout stages of the IPL 2025, finishing in fifth and seventh, respectively, and they will be aiming to improve significantly.ย
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