In a bold challenge, Delhi Capitals handed 18-year-old Sahil Parakha his debut Indian Premier League (IPL) cap against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday. The development came when after Axar Patel announced Parakh in the coin toss.
Left-handed batsman Parakh has replaced Sri Lankan Pathum Nissanko at the top and will open the batting alongside KL Rahul, who just smashed a record 152 not out against Punjab Kings. It should be noted that Parakh had played only two T20s before for Maharashtra.
The decision to hand Parakh his IPL debut comes as a tactical change, according to Axar. With Lungi Ngidi out of the game due to a head injury in the last game and Mukesh Kumar not at his best, the Delhi Capitals management decided to bring in Kyle Jamieson and Dusmantha Chameera to bolster their bowling attack.
With Tristan Stubbs and David Miller in the middle order and only four foreigners allowed, the ax surely fell on Nissanka. “Two fast bowlers – Dushmantha Chameera and Kyle Jamieson – and opener Sahil Parakh, who is making his debut. The changes are because of what happened to Lungi in the last match,” Axar said during the coin toss.
Everything you need to know about Sahil Parakh
Nashik-born Parakh was picked by Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2026 auction for ₹30 lakhs. His ability to bat with flair and fearlessness combined with his leg spin makes him one of the future T20 stars to watch out for.
Parakh came into limelight when he scored an unbeaten 109 off just 75 balls for India U-19 against Australia in the 2024-25 Youth ODI. The southpaw impressed Delhi Capitals scouts with his performances in the Maharashtra Premier League while representing the Eagle Titans (scoring 202 runs at an impressive strike rate of 177.19).
However, Parakh’s debut lasted just two balls as he was undone by an unplayable yorker from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. While his first ball fell in front of the fielder after taking an outside edge, Parakh had no answer for a swinging yorker at middle to see his middle stump ripped out.
DC vs RCB playing XI
Delhi Capitals: Sahil Parakh, KL Rahul(w), Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel(c), Dushmantha Chameera, Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar
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