Ex-India batsman Suresh Raina doesn’t foresee KL Rahul being let go of by Delhi Capitals prior to the IPL 2026 retention deadline on Saturday. Raina, an IPL icon who spent his prime years with Chennai Super Kings, shared his views on the possible moves by the franchises before the next edition of the cash-rich league. It is reported that the three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders are very much interested in signing Rahul and taking him to Eden Gardens. Last season, Rahul, who was bought for Rs 14 crore at the auction, was the main reason for DC’s batting with 539 runs at an average of 53.90 and a strike rate of 149.72.

Raina is of the opinion that Rahul would still be at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and he even went to the extent of calling him the backbone of the Delhi Capitals team.

Suresh Raina weighs in on DC and SRH Retention Plans

The former southpaw highlighted that the bigger question for DC is whether to retain veteran South African opener Faf du Plessis, who struggled last season with just 202 runs in nine matches at 22.44.

“I don’t think KL Rahul will leave Delhi Capitals. He got a good price in the last auction and performed really well. As a batter in T20 cricket, he gives you both a solid batter and a wicketkeeper. He’s the backbone of the team. The big question is whether they will retain Faf du Plessis or not,” Raina said during an interaction with JioHotstar.

Raina also analyzed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s squad depth, stressing the need for a more reliable middle-order batter. Uncapped batsman Aniket Verma had a breakout season with 236 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 166.20. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan started and ended the season with centuries but struggled for consistency in between.

“SRH need a sensible middle-order batter. Ishan Kishan did very well initially with a few strong innings, and then players like Heinrich Klaasen come into play. Nitish Kumar Reddy will have to improve his performance because the team and the owners are banking on him,” Raina added.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden offered a contrasting perspective, pointing to SRH’s bowling as the main concern. Hayden expects the team to strengthen their pace attack, possibly with veteran quick Mohammed Shami, who may be traded to Lucknow Super Giants.

“The big problem for SRH is their bowling attack. It’s a very good batting wicket in Hyderabad, so SRH need to find quality bowlers. Some potential big releases are Mohammed Shami, Abhinav Manohar, and Rahul Chahar. They’ll be on the hunt in the mini-auction for fast bowlers with variations because it’s a pure batting pitch,” Hayden said.