Delhi Capitals (DC) assistant coach Ian Bell showered praise on KL Rahul ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The former England national cricket team batter called Rahul a classy player and expressed immense excitement about the opportunity to closely observe the Indian cricketer.
DC will begin their upcoming IPL campaign against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 1. Captain Axar Patel will lead the Capitals against former franchise skipper Rishabh Pant in Lucknow. The Delhi-based team is aiming to secure a playoff berth after narrowly missing qualification last season.
KL Rahul Is a Classy Player – Ian Bell
Ian Bell recently discussed his upcoming coaching responsibilities for the Delhi Capitals franchise. The former England cricketer expressed his intense professional fascination with KL Rahul during the tournament.
“He is a classy player. I’m fascinated to see him up close,” Bell said, as quoted by The Guardian.
During the IPL 2025, KL Rahul enjoyed an excellent maiden season representing the Delhi Capitals. The 33-year-old batter scored 539 runs in 13 matches at an impressive strike rate of 149.72. However, Rahul constantly alternated between opening and batting in the middle order throughout the season.
I Don’t Think Technique is the First Thing – Ian Bell
The Delhi Capitals assistant coach explained his personal coaching philosophy. Bell emphasized that significantly altering batting techniques is unnecessary when working with experienced international franchise players during short domestic tournament windows.
“Unlike county or international setups, where you have more time. I don’t think technique is the first thing you go to with the international players. And I don’t teach players to bat like I did. In my view, a good way of working with players is to help them find the best version of themselves.”
I Have Built Up a Good Relationship With… – Ian Bell
Ian Bell previously secured the Dubai Capitals championship title alongside head coach Hemang Badani and director Venugopal Rao. Bell said that he earned his coaching role through a proper process and not because of personal connections.
“I have built up a good relationship with Hemang and [director of cricket] Venugopal Rao in those other roles. But it was a proper process. I certainly wasn’t given it because of, you know, being mates … or mates of mates. I could probably shout about my coaching more but it’s not really in my nature. I’ve just tried to get my head down and earn my stripes.”
Delhi Capitals narrowly missed the playoffs last season, finishing fifth with seven wins from 14 matches. Despite building strong squads over the years, they have failed to reach the knockout stage in the last four seasons, which adds pressure ahead of IPL 2026.
For the first phase of the tournament, DC are scheduled to play four matches. The team will be determined to break their playoff drought and make a serious title push this season. Their best finish remains the 2020 final, where they lost to Mumbai Indians.
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