KL Rahul led the Delhi Capitals (DC) batting show almost single-handedly through IPL 2026, finishing with 593 runs, and the fourth spot on the Orange Cap table at the end of the league stage. It was also another season where Rahul scored a lot of runs, but his team didn't do anything remarkable, finishing in sixth place, prompting Ambati Rayudu to say, "He deserves the trophy and hopefully he gets it [one day]".
On Sunday at Eden Gardens against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rahul scored 60 in 30 balls. DC had already been knocked out, and Rahul seemed determined to finish on a high. The fun started in the third over, when he took Cameron Green for a six and a four to get going, but the rest of the powerplay was quiet. The real action came in the eighth over when Sunil Narine was sent over long-on for a six and then straight down for a four off consecutive balls. Rahul didn't stop, bringing up his fifty off just 25 balls before falling to Anukul Roy.
"He was picking him [Narine] well and also some of the shots were exceptional," Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo Time Out. "The straight hits that he played against Narine were 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.
"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 couldn't complete the 2023 edition of the IPL because of a right thigh injury, but his aggregates since 2018 are spectacular: his lowest for a season is 520; he has topped 600 on four occasions, with a best of 670 in 2020. The issue, which he has often been criticised for, is the strike rate: between 2018 and 2025, he topped 140 only twice, and his IPL career strike rate is 139.09. But this season, Rahul scored at 174.41.
"This is the reason why we always say that it is so important for Delhi for him to get past the powerplay," Mark 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].
"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'
For a team like DC, who have been around from the first season but have never won the IPL title and have made the final four only six times - and not in five seasons now - there could be a temptation to respond to the results and overhaul the team again. But Rayudu and Boucher hoped that it didn't happen.
Ambati Rayudu and Mark Boucher on Delhi Capitals' season
"It is a competition of what could have been if you want to look at it like that," Boucher said. "Two [more] wins and they are qualifying, and they look like a good team at the moment."
To Rayudu, with the personnel DC have, they should have been challenging for the title.
"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."