The 39th match of the ongoing IPL 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi was already a disaster for Delhi Capitals (DC), but after the match, social media made things even more intense for the team. DC’s heavy 9-wicket defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has tarnished the image of KL Rahul.
The treatment of a young budding artiste has become a major topic of discussion on social media. 18-year-old Sahil Parakh was handed his IPL debut cap by Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. However, his special moment has turned into a difficult experience for the young player.
Sahil Parakh’s dream debut in IPL 2026 turns into nightmare in just two balls
Sahil Parakh was brought in to open the innings with KL Rahul in the high-profile encounter against RCB. It was a forgettable debut for the Maharashtra batsman.
Parakh was on strike against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. It is never easy to face him with the new ball and it becomes even more difficult on debut.
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Bhuvneshwar bowled a very good swinging ball and the youngster’s stumps were uprooted. His bowling was so accurate that the batsmen could not understand or handle it properly and his debut ended in just two balls. There was a sharp reaction on social media after Parakh’s dismissal.
KL Rahul faces criticism over strike decision in DC vs RCB match
Many people believed that being a senior player, KL Rahul should have taken the first ball himself. He believed that it was too risky to keep a debutant on strike in such a high-pressure game, especially against a bowler like Bhuvneshwar. He said that instead of supporting Parakh, Rahul exposed him.
Things turned sour for DC in no time, as Parakh’s early wicket led to a complete collapse. Josh Hazlewood joined the attack and the RCB pair made fun of the DC batting lineup. After scoring 264 runs against PBKS on the same ground, the host team was out for just 75 runs.
Chasing a modest target, RCB won the match by 9 wickets within 7 overs, leaving Delhi completely surprised. After the DC vs RCB match, Rahul received heavy blow for not taking the strike, but former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh publicly defended him.
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Dodda Ganesh supports KL Rahul, calls criticism unfair and unnecessary
The commentator felt the response was too harsh and unnecessary. Ganesh said that Parakh was selected as a proper opening batsman, so giving him strike was not a wrong move.
The former cricketer also stressed that it is unfair to blame Rahul’s decisions for the defeat and this kind of negativity around a player like Rahul is absolutely helpless.
Dodda Ganesh posted,
Yesterday saw the tweets of some journalists where they accused KL Rahul of exposing the debutant with the very first ball.
FYI guys, that kid is no tail ender; He is a good batsman and that is why he was selected to open. Can’t understand this toxicity around KL Rahul #IPL2026— Dodda Ganesh दौड़ गानेश (@doddaganesha) 28 April 2026
With this crushing defeat, Delhi Capitals slipped to 7th in the IPL 2026 points table with 6 points and a negative net run rate. They have lost five of their 8 matches played so far in the tournament. DC will next face Rajasthan Royals on May 1 in Jaipur.