Three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy holders, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), are planning a strategic move ahead of the new season. It has been reported that the franchise is targeting Delhi Capitals’ batter KL Rahul via trade deals ahead of the fresh season. KL Rahul was one of the best-performing batters in the Delhi Capitals team last season. Kolkata Knight Riders, who ended their trophy drought after 10 years under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir, failed to defend their crown this season. Ajinkya Rahane’s side ended their campaign in the eighth position with 12 points. It seems like they have already planned out their weaknesses and key strategies ahead of the big season. Also Read: Will Pakistan play at the 2028 Olympics? What do the rules say? The Shahrukh Khan co-owned franchise has already parted ways with their head coach, Chandrakant Pandit and bowling coach Bharat Arun, and they are making further changes to correct the mistakes they made during the 2025 mega-auction. They are searching for a new captain and a batter who can provide stability in the middle order, and they won’t find any better option than KL Rahul. As per the reports from journalist Gaurav Gupta (Times of India), the former champs are making their best bets to welcome KL Rahul. KL Rahul captained Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for three years (2022-2024) and helped the team reach the playoffs two times, singlehandedly. The Delhi Capitals scored 539 runs in 13 matches, including one century and three half-centuries. The Indian batter is currently engaged in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and has been the second-best batter for the Indian team on this England tour. KKR has reportedly been making this move to strengthen its squad. Their most expensive player, Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought for a whopping price of INR 23.75 crore in IPL 2025 mega-auction, failed miserably. Ajinkya Rahane failed to make a formidable playing XI during the league campaign, which led to one of the poorest IPL seasons.