KL Rahul has emerged as the leading candidate to captain Delhi Capitals for the IPL 2027 season, according to reports. The Delhi-based franchise is ready to hand him the role after Rishabh Pant decided against returning as captain, with a final decision expected after management approvals in September.
Delhi Capitals are set for major changes after finishing sixth in the IPL 2026 points table under Axar Patel. JSW and Parth Jindal are expected to take full control of cricket operations from GMR, with the franchise also planning significant changes to its coaching staff for the next edition of the tournament.
KL Rahul Is the Captain of Delhi Capitals as of Today
The RevSportz journalist Rohit Juglan shared a major update on Delhi Capitals’ captaincy plans for the IPL 2027 season. He said the franchise is yet to make a final decision, but KL Rahul has emerged as the clear frontrunner to lead the side.
“If there is a frontrunner at this stage, although the final decision will come only after August-September, I would say KL Rahul is the captain of Delhi Capitals as of today. These are today’s updates, and things can change in the coming days. But based on the latest information I have right now, KL Rahul will lead Delhi Capitals.”
As per reports, the management wants to sign Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya. As part of the proposed deal, Delhi Capitals have reportedly offered Axar Patel and Prithvi Shaw in a direct player exchange.
Rishabh Pant Does Not Want to Captain Delhi Capitals
Juglan also revealed Rishabh Pant has informed the franchise that he wants to concentrate on his batting instead of taking on leadership responsibilities after returning to Delhi Capitals from Lucknow Super Giants.
“At the moment, there are only two captaincy options – KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. According to my sources, Rishabh Pant does not want to captain because he wants to focus on his batting. I don’t know whether he will ask to open the innings, but he wanted to open for Lucknow Super Giants before Josh Inglis arrived.”
“He had requested Tom Moody to let him open, but that did not happen. A lot of things happened there, and I won’t go into those details. If Axar Patel is available for a trade and Rishabh Pant has turned down the captaincy, then KL Rahul becomes the obvious option. Things can still change, but as of now, KL Rahul will be their leader.”
Pant recently returned to Delhi Capitals after the franchise completed a trade with Lucknow Super Giants. With his priority on rediscovering his best batting form, Delhi Capitals are expected to hand the captaincy to Rahul if Pant sticks to his decision.
KL Rahul Delivers Impressive Individual Performances for Delhi Capitals
Rahul enjoyed an outstanding IPL 2026 season. He moved away from his traditional anchor role and batted with far more attacking intent. Rahul finished as Delhi Capitals’ highest run-scorer, scoring 593 runs in 14 innings at an average of 45.62 and strike rate of 174.41, hitting 56 fours and 31 sixes.
The batter also smashed a career-best unbeaten 152 against Gujarat Titans, becoming the first Indian batter to score 150 runs in a single IPL innings. Rahul also became the first player in IPL history to score 1,000 runs for three different franchises—Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, and Delhi Capitals.
Delhi Capitals reportedly offered Rahul the captaincy midway through the season to replace the struggling Axar Patel. Rahul initially declined the role to focus on his batting.
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