Watch: Parth Jindal reveals KL Rahul personally pushed for this player during IPL 2026 mini auction

For the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026), Delhi Capitals (DC) created a strong batting lineup. For INR 2 crore, the inclusion of England opener Ben Duckett into the squad was an interesting pick made by the franchise during the auction. DC was determined to sign the attacking batter.

But why were they so eager about signing the English batter? KL Rahul may be the biggest reason behind the move. Ahead of the auction, there were some speculations about Rahul's future in Delhi Capitals. If the rumors are to be believed, then there were a fair amount of chances for the Indian keeper-batter to shift his IPL address.

The reality is, KL Rahul is in the Delhi-based franchise and might have influenced the franchise's bidding strategy during the audition. Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal reveals that KL Rahul wanted Ben Duckett on the team. "We spoke to him, and the list was communicated. KL really wanted Duckett; he's got his man," Jindal said. 

Read More: Watch: Venky Mysore reveals KKR captain name for IPL 2026 season

Watch the interview where Parth Jindal spoke about KL Rahul's interest in Ben Duckett:

Delhi Capitals IPL 2026 full squad:

Axar Patel (c), KL Rahul, Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Tripurana Vijay, Ajay Mandal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera, Nitish Rana, Auqib Nabi Dar, Pathum Nissanka, Ben Duckett, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Sahil Parakh, Prithvi Shaw, and Kyle Jamieson.

Players purchased by DC in the IPL 2026 auction: 

Auqib Dar (Rs 8.4 crore), Ben Duckett (Rs 2 crore), David Miller (Rs 2 crore), Pathum Nissanka (Rs 4 crore), Lungi Ngidi (Rs 2 crore), Kyle Jamieson (Rs 2 crore), Prithvi Shaw (Rs 75 lakh), and Sahil Parakh (Rs 30 lakh).

Probable Playing XI:

KL Rahul, Ben Duckett (WK) (Overseas), Nitish Rana/Abishek Porel, Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs (Overseas), David Miller (Overseas), Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc (Overseas), Auqib Nabi, Kuldeep Yadav, and T Natarajan.