KL Rahul carried Delhi Capitals (DC) through much of IPL 2026 almost by himself, amassing 593 runs and ending fourth on the Orange Cap standings—though that ranking could shift as the competition unfolds. It has been another season full of productivity from Rahul, yet DC again failed to make a serious impact in the tournament, finishing sixth overall. Ambati Rayudu summed up the dilemma with a hopeful nod toward Rahul’s individual brilliance: “He deserves the trophy and hopefully he gets it [one day]”.
On Sunday at Eden Gardens, DC faced Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). With DC already eliminated from playoff contention, Rahul still played like the game mattered, striking 60 off 30 balls. The innings looked to spark in the third over, when he launched Cameron Green for a six and followed it with a boundary four. After that early burst, the opening powerplay otherwise slowed down. Momentum returned in the eighth over as Sunil Narine—still a puzzle to most batters—was struck for a six over long-on and then hit straight for a four on consecutive deliveries. Rahul continued to press, reaching his fifty in just 25 balls, before he was dismissed by Anukul Roy.
Rayudu praised Rahul’s ability to read and attack Narine’s variations, saying, “He was picking him [Narine] well and also some of the shots were exceptional. The straight hits that he played against Narine were, I think, some of the best shots that we have seen so far against Narine in the season. I don’t think anybody has taken on Narine as KL Rahul.” He added that Rahul seems willing to challenge every major bowler in the league. “It looks like he takes on all the big bowlers in the IPL. He has taken on [Josh] Hazlewood, he has taken on Narine. He is a class player, and Delhi needs to give him a team that wins him an IPL trophy because he deserves it. He has been a fantastic batsman for any team that he has played for. So he deserves the trophy and hopefully he gets it soon.”
Rahul missed the 2023 IPL due to a right thigh injury, but his run of form since 2018 has been eye-catching. His smallest seasonal haul in that stretch is 520, and he has crossed the 600-mark on four occasions, with his highest total of 670 arriving in 2020. The criticism around him has often centered on strike rate: between 2018 and 2025, he broke past 140 only twice, and his career strike rate in the IPL stands at 139.09. This season, however, Rahul’s scoring rate soared to 174.41.
Mark Boucher highlighted the importance of Rahul surviving—and thriving—after the powerplay. “This is the reason why we always say that it is so important for Delhi for him to get past the powerplay,” Boucher said. “You have a team like KKR, who have got the spin twins [Narine and Varun Chakravarthy] that have really made life very difficult for every other team after the powerplay. And you have a guy like KL who comes in there and he takes the game on and all of a sudden you look at their figures afterwards and they haven’t really had a big impact on the game [Narine went at 9.50 and Varun at 8.75].”
Boucher also explained that the bowlers’ figures can look modest because Rahul creates momentum. “Their [economy] rates are still eight-nine, but that is largely due to KL setting the momentum for those overs in the middle. That is what one quality batsman [can do]… He is not good, he is a very good player. That is what one quality batsman can do if he is in and he starts to dominate the proceedings.”
Boucher: ‘A competition of what could have been for DC’
DC have existed since the first IPL season but have never lifted the trophy. They have reached the final four only six times, and they have not done so in five straight seasons. In that context, there is always a temptation to react to disappointing outcomes by reshaping the squad again. Rayudu and Boucher, though, wanted DC to avoid knee-jerk changes.
Boucher’s view was that the season should be judged with a sense of perspective. “It is a competition of what could have been if you want to look at it like that,” he said. “Two [more] wins and they are qualifying, and they look like a good team at the moment.”
Rayudu believed DC’s current roster should have been able to mount a title challenge. “When you have a bowling side that is that experienced [Mitchell Starc, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in the main] and that capable, and have match-winners in your batting line-up like [David] Miller and KL Rahul and all others to complement them, that is a side that should be in top two trying to play the finals, trying to win the competition,” Rayudu said. “Somehow they have managed to just not do things right for the longest time. It is not only this season, for the longest time they have had some brilliant sides at their disposal, and they have never managed to keep them in a good space.
“I think Delhi should really go back and introspect and come back stronger and I hope they don’t change many personnel, the big ones in their squad.”
