IPL 2025: Harry Brook ruins KL Rahul’s plans at DC as India star denied opening spot
Published - 19 Mar 2025, 10:13 AM | Updated - 19 Mar 2025, 10:16 AM
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KL Rahul is all set to take on a new challenge in the upcoming Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025). KL Rahul has been a versatile force in the batting lineup of the India National Cricket Team, and now the Delhi Capitals want to utilize his talent of batting at any position this season.
After dominating as an opener for Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, Rahul is expected to bat in the middle order for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL 2025, starting on March 22. Notably, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter was snapped up by DC for INR 14 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction after Lucknow Super Giants released their captain last year.
Delhi Capitals to utilize KL Rahul’s versatility with middle-order role in IPL 2025
Well, according to a Times of India report, Delhi Capitals is mulling over playing KL Rahul in the middle order for stability in the batting lineup in the upcoming season. He has been a key middle-order player for Team India recently, but this role is relatively new for him in the IPL.
KL Rahul, who played an important role in India's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 triumph, is set to join the DC squad later this week in Visakhapatnam. And the report revealed that the DC team management has been considering playing the right-handed batter in the middle order since the start of training camp.
Rahul’s shift makes strategic sense, as Delhi has solid options at the top but limited experience in the middle, so they are banking on KL Rahul’s adaptability, especially after Harry Brook pulled out at the last moment. Notably, Brook was banned from the IPL for two years by the BCCI.
Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk set to open for DC
If Rahul moves to No. 4, Delhi’s opening pair will likely be vice-captain Faf du Plessis and young Australian talent Jake Fraser-McGurk, with either Abhishek Porel or Karun Nair taking the crucial No. 3 batting position in the upcoming tournament.
Porel was retained by the DC for INR 4 crore, while Nair, who has been in stunning form in domestic cricket, was purchased by the franchise for INR 50 lakh at the auction.
Rahul will most probably take the number four spot, followed by the captain Axar Patel and big-hitter Tristian Stubbs in the middle order before the finishers come into the picture. DC will play their first game against LSG in the upcoming season on March 24 in Visakhapatnam.
Notably, Rahul started as a top-order batter for Karnataka and made his international debut as an opener. But over the years, the 32-year-old Indian batter has adapted to different roles across formats, even taking up wicketkeeping when needed.
KL Rahul bats in different positions for India
In the recent ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Rahul took on the finisher’s role after moving from his usual No. 5 spot due to the left-hander Axar Patel. And even in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia, he began as an opener, then shifted to No. 3 when Rohit Sharma moved up.
Later, when Rohit had made himself unavailable for the SCG Test, Rahul returned to the top. Before that, he had played mostly in the middle order in Tests. He has not played in the T20I cricket since the 2022 T20 World Cup. DC, Rahil’s fifth franchise, now wants to bet on Rahil’s versatility in the IPL.
