IPL 2026: Don't think Rahul will leave as he is Delhi Capitals' backbone, says Suresh Raina

NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Suresh Raina believes KL Rahul is “the backbone” of Delhi Capitals, making it almost unthinkable for the franchise to release him ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 retention deadline.

Rahul, who moved to Delhi ahead of IPL 2025, has been one of the league’s standout performers. His 539 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate close to 150—featuring a century and three fifties—made him the fastest batter to reach 5,000 IPL runs. Given that he also doubles up as a wicketkeeper, Raina argued that Rahul offers too much value for Delhi to even consider releasing him.

“He got a good price in the last auction and performed really well,” Raina said. “As a batter in T20 cricket, he gives you both a solid batter and a wicketkeeper. I don’t think Rahul will leave Delhi; he’s the backbone of the team. Even Axar has played really well in T20Is and ODIs over the last few years. So, I think he should definitely lead the team. The big question is whether they will retain Faf du Plessis or not.”

While Delhi’s retention choices may feel straightforward, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a few tough calls to make, according to JioStar expert Irfan Pathan.