Legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin favored Delhi Capitals to open the innings with Indian batsman KL Rahul. He also backed him to clinch the Orange Cap with the most runs in IPL 2026 if he is handed the starting spot by the Capitals.
Despite playing the entire IPL 2025 season as a middle-order batsman, barring a few innings at the back end, KL Rahul scored 500+ runs in the season and also scored a brilliant century, scoring almost 150 runs.
Many former players, cricket analysts and others have endorsed him as the first-choice opening batsman for the Capitals in the upcoming season. This decision has now been supported by Rahul’s former teammate Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ravichandran Ashwin made a big announcement about KL Rahul, saying, “If he has an orange cap, he will have an orange cap.”
Former Indian all-rounder and PBKS captain Ravichandran Ashwin has given a big statement regarding his former teammate KL Rahul. He strongly claimed that the 33-year-old experienced Indian batsman is best suited for the role of opening batsman.
Last time DC took too long to figure out the right batting order; Therefore, they could not utilize their players to their maximum potential. He has expressed his desire to see KL Rahul opening the innings with Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka.
Ravichandran Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel, “There was a match against CSK, where KL Rahul played an extraordinary innings on a two-way pitch. Still, for some time after that he never opened with him. Make sure he opens this season. If he does, he will have the Orange Cap. Patham Nissanka has to open with him at the top. Just do these basic things and leave it to the players.”
He said, “By trying to do too much as a support staff, you can impact the team in unimaginable ways. Ashutosh Sharma played an amazing innings, but it felt as if he never played after that. Suddenly, Sameer Rizvi played a game.”
However, Ashwin’s demand does not seem to be the exact plan of the Capitals, especially when they chose David Miller and Tristan Stubbs as the two overseas batsmen to strengthen their middle order. They will also have a number of foreign fast bowlers like Mitchell Starc and World Cup hero Lungi Ngidi.
Ashwin supported the excellent bowling lineup of Delhi Capitals
The former Delhi Capitals spinner, who played for them last season, was thoroughly impressed with the Capitals’ bowling lineup. They have had two of the best auctions in IPL history and have picked a good mix of talent and experience.
Ravichandran Ashwin hinted at the importance of fast bowler Natarajan in the playing eleven, saying, “When I last saw Natarajan, his pace had dropped quite a bit. Hopefully, he will come and do well for them because he is a high-priced choice. But otherwise too, they have a great bowling lineup.”
“If Starc doesn’t play, they have Lungi Ngidi. Mukesh Kumar is bowling brilliant yorkers. Last season, Kuldeep Yadav had the ball.
“He and Axar Patel are solid Indian spinners, as are Banks. Auqib Nabi should play and open the bowling with the new ball,” Ashwin said (via the above source).
“DC has a good chance if they don’t make frequent changes to their 11.” -Ravichandran Ashwin
There are many big names in the Delhi Capitals team. They have foreign openers like Pathum Nissanka and Ben Duckett who may not get a chance to cement their place in the playing eleven. Moreover, securing space for pre-season stars like Vipraj Nigam and Abhishek Porel will be a tough task for the Capitals head coach.
Especially in bowling, the Capitals have immense variety in both national and international options, which makes them the best team, yet they need to be managed carefully to seal their place in the playoffs. Too much experimentation can ruin the strength of their original playing XI
Ravichandran Ashwin said, “If DC do not make frequent changes in their 11, they have a good chance. Despite being a strong team, they have found the magic recipe to get out. If they use their resources well, they can give a tough fight to MI too. Such is the strength of DC’s team. But my prediction is that they will have a chance to qualify despite floundering all season.”
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