IPL 2026: Irfan Pathan backs KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw as DC openers

Former cricketer Irfan Pathan endorsed KL Rahul as a 'safest bank' for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026. He backed the consistent opener to be paired with a 'hungry' Prithvi Shaw, who Pathan believes will be keen to prove his worth.

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan hailed Delhi Capitals (DC) opener KL Rahul's consistency and backed Prithvi Shaw to be his opening partner for the season. KL will be opening during the upcoming season of IPL, with DC set to start their campaign against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Lucknow on April 1.

KL Rahul: The 'Safest Bank'

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan hailed KL as a "safest bank" that can score 500 runs and give his team good starts every season. He also added that while there is always chatter around his strike rate, it should not matter as long as his team wins. "KL Rahul is the safest bank to score 500 runs every season. He will always score runs and is capable of giving good starts consistently. He is undoubtedly one of the best players in this league. It is just that we sometimes talk about his strike rate, but as long as you win the match, you do not need to focus much on that," he said.

In the last season, KL was at his most aggressive in years, scoring 539 runs in 13 matches at an average of 53.90, with a strike rate of almost 150, including a century and three fifties. He was DC's top run-getter and overall ninth-highest. He was also DC's leading six-hitter, with 21 maximums.

In 145 matches, KL has scored 5,222 runs in 136 innings of his IPL career, which has seen him play for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), RCB, Punjab Kings and finally DC. These runs have come at an average of 46.21 and a strike rate of 136.02, including five centuries and 40 fifties. He was the Orange Cap winner back in the 2020 season with PBKS, scoring 670 runs in 14 innings with a century and five fifties. He will be aiming to get as close as possible to the 6,000-run mark, if not touch it. If he reaches this milestone, he will be the fifth batter after Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner to reach the milestone. Currently, he is the seventh-highest run-getter in the competition's history.

Pathan Backs 'Hungry' Prithvi Shaw

The former all-rounder also backed Shaw, who was bought by DC for Rs 75 lakh after he went unsold in the auction ahead of the 2025 season, saying that after missing out on a season, Shaw would be hungry and "will come to prove a point". However, he urged the batter not to take too much pressure, since it always "leads one towards failure".

A Word of Caution

"They got him at a very good price. He shifted to Maharashtra from Mumbai in domestic cricket. He was the highest run-scorer for Maharashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Yes, he did not score in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but he seems to be in good form. I think those hungry players who went unsold last year always come with a point to prove. Prithvi Shaw will come to prove a point," he said.

"The hungry players who have gotten dropped are very excited, but along with that, they also put a lot of pressure on themselves to perform. This pressure always leads you towards failure," Pathan said.

"They have the option of Abhishek Porel, who has performed really well whenever he has gotten chances. He has contributed with quick 20s and 30s so far. But I think they should go with Prithvi Shaw and give him clarity about his role," he signed off.

Shaw had a solid domestic season for Maharashtra after making a switch from Mumbai ahead of the season, scoring 537 runs in 11 Ranji Trophy innings at an average of 48.82 and a strike rate of over 91, with a double hundred and three fifties to his name. He was the top run-getter for Maharashtra in the competition. He also had solid outings in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) and the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). In VHT, he made 193 runs in six innings at an average of 32.17, with a strike rate of over 104, including two fifties. In SMAT, he made 183 runs in seven innings at an average of 26.14, striking at over 160, with two fifties to his name.

Having not played for India since 2021, Shaw will be eyeing a fine season with DC, a franchise he represented from 2018 to 2024, scoring 1,892 runs in 79 innings at an average of almost 24, a strike rate of 147.46, with 14 fifties. His best score is 99. (ANI)

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