IPL 2026 Trade: DC Refuse to Release KL Rahul, Trade Talks with KKR End

The rumours around KL Rahul’s move to Kolkata Knight Riders have been shut down. As per a Cricbuzz report, Delhi Capitals have no plans to release their captain ahead of IPL 2026.

Every year before the IPL auction, trade talks heat up and most of them fade just as quickly. This time too, several big names were floating around, from Washington Sundar’s supposed move to Chennai Super Kings to Rahul’s potential switch to Kolkata. But both deals are now confirmed to be off.

For a while, Rahul’s name had gathered strong buzz as KKR were reportedly in the market for an experienced keeper-batter.

There were even talks of Delhi considering a swap involving Tristan Stubbs or Sameer Rizvi, as part of the ongoing discussions over Sanju Samson’s future. But none of that has progressed.

The main issue for Kolkata is that they do not have a player of similar value to offer. The likes of Rinku Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy remain untouchable for the franchise, while senior stars Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are unlikely to be part of any trade. That leaves very few options for KKR to work with.

A Delhi Capitals source also dismissed the reports, saying there is no reason for the team to release one of their top players. Rahul, who joined DC last season, is expected to continue as their captain heading into the next campaign.