KL Rahul offered captaincy by KKR if he moves from DC in the trade window ahead of IPL 2026—Report

In what can be a huge trade in the currently open Indian Premier League (IPL) trading window, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have reportedly offered KL Rahul a trade from Delhi Capitals (DC) and potentially might make him their captain as well.

After Shreyas Iyer joined the Punjab Kings (PBKS), the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) saw a free decline in the 2025 Indian Premier League. Despite leading KKR to an IPL 2024 championship, Iyer was let go by the team. PBKS purchased him for an astounding 26.75 crore. Iyer performed admirably for PBKS, leading them to the championship game, when they were defeated by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). In contrast, KKR placed ninth and was eliminated from the group stage.

In IPL 2025, KKR made some startling choices, like paying 23.75 crore for Venkatesh Iyer's RTM card. The team's captain was announced as Ajinkya Rahane. Ajinkya Rahane was also appointed the team's captain. Rahane's leadership appeared antiquated, Iyer had a poor season, and KKR suffered as a result of their choices. However, the team is eager to make amends before the 2026 IPL.

KL Rahul was offered the captaincy by KKR if he moves from DC.

It appears that the franchise will undergo a complete overhaul following their somewhat dreary 2025 season. As we've already seen, the administration has fired bowling coach Bharat Arun and head coach Chandrakant Pandit.

KL Rahul is one of their main targets as they attempt to restructure their team, according to the most recent reports. The 2024 champions are attempting to trade the Indian batter from the Delhi Capitals, according to Times of India reporter Gaurav Gupta.

For IPL 2026, teams are allowed to sign players from other teams during the current IPL trading window. In an attempt to solve the numerous issues they encountered during the previous season, KKR is attempting to get KL Rahul.

KL Rahul had a very good IPL 2025 with 539 runs in 13 games with one century and 3 fifties. He hit 52 fours and 21 sixes. If KKR manages to pull off the trade, KL Rahul will solve a plethora of their problems.

First of all, as openers and wicketkeepers, Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz did not perform up to par. Rahul's involvement will undoubtedly help to resolve this issue.

Second, Ajinkya Rahane had a difficult time leading the Knights. During the later stages of the 2025 Indian Premier League, Rahane's captaincy was criticized by the fans. Rahul will provide KKR with a legitimate captaincy contender for the 2026 Indian Premier League competition because he has prior experience captaining in high-pressure IPL tournaments.

Third, KL Rahul's inclusion will provide them with an Indian opener and wicketkeeper. They now have a slot available abroad. KL Rahul's arrival will therefore give KKR more adaptability and energy when choosing their playing lineup.

Furthermore, KKR is looking to offload Venkatesh Iyer, whom they paid INR 23.75 Cr in the IPL 2025 auction, while KL Rahul was bought by DC for INR 14 crores. It could be that KKR offers Iyer to bring Rahul into their squad.

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