IPL 2027 Buzz: KL Rahul’s DC future confirmed; former teammate makes huge MS Dhoni revelation

The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded on May 31. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) retained their title by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Ever since the conclusion of IPL 2026, there have been plenty of reports and rumors over possible trade deals and likely captaincy changes. Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya has been linked to multiple franchises, but nothing is official as of now. On the other hand, Rishabh Pant has moved back from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to Delhi Capitals (DC), taking a massive pay cut.

There have been some interesting developments with regards to IPL 2027 in the recent weeks. In this feature, we take a look at five stories that grabbed headlines.

#1 DC provide huge update on KL Rahul

Amid some uncertainty over KL Rahul‘s future with the Delhi Capitals (DC), the franchise on Tuesday, September 8 officially confirmed that the star will be part of the side for IPL 2027.

Reacting to rumors of DC being in talks with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) over a potential trade involving Rahul, franchise co-owner Parth Jindal took to his X account and confirmed:

“KL IS KLUTCH FOR @DelhiCapitals – one of the nicest guys i know and one who puts the team before himself always. We have unfinished business and will work hard together to make Delhi proud @IPL.”

Rahul replied to the post and wrote:

“Thank you, can’t wait for the coming season.”

Rahul joined DC ahead of the IPL 2025 season. In 27 matches for the franchise, he has scored 1,132 runs at an average of 49.21 and a strike rate of 161.71, with two hundreds and eight half-centuries.

#2 Suresh Raina picks new captain for KKR ahead of IPL 2027 season

Following Ajinkya Rahane’s retirement, former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Suresh Raina has backed Rinku Singh to take over as KKR’s new captain. Rinku led Meerut Mavericks to title triumph in the 2026 edition of the UPT20. Sharing his thoughts after the UPT20 final, Raina commented (via NDTV):

“Kaabil e tareef kaptaani Rinku Singh ki. Chautha season hai, chauthe final khel rahe hai (Meerut Mavericks). KKR kaptaan badi hi dhoond rahi hai, lekin mujhe lagta hai kaptaan mil gaya hai KKR ko (Rinku’s captaincy has been worthy of praise. Fourth season, fourth final for Meerut Mavericks. KKR are looking for a captain, but I think they may have found one).”

Rinku has been with the KKR franchise since IPL 2018. In 73 matches (62 innings), he has scored 1,394 runs at an average of 34 and a strike rate of 145.96, with six half-centuries.

#3 Former CSK star reveals chat with MS Dhoni over IPL 2027

Former CSK batter Subramaniam Badrinath has revealed that MS Dhoni will not play as an Impact Player in IPL 2027. Badrinath stated that the legendary keeper-batter himself informed him about the same. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath shared his thoughts on Dhoni’s decision and said:

“He has personally told me that he won’t play as an Impact Player. He sees himself as a full-time keeper, and that means he has to be on the field for the full 20 overs. So he won’t play as an Impact Player, but I feel if he does, it’ll tactically benefit CSK.”

“His body cannot withstand long durations, which even Fleming has said. He is only going to bat after the 16th over and keep wickets. When his participation is so less, he would be ideal as an Impact Player,” he added.

Meanwhile, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told PTI that there is no official confirmation over whether Dhoni will play IPL 2027. The former CSK skipper missed the entire 2026 season due to injury.

#4 MI might retain Hardik Pandya for IPL 2027

Ever since the conclusion of IPL 2026, there have been numerous rumors floating around Pandya’s future. He was linked to KKR as well as CSK with regards to potential trades. However, as per a report in The Times of India, nothing seems to have materialized, so there are chances that Pandya might stay with MI, even if the captaincy is taken away from him. The report quoted a source as saying:

“Don’t be surprised if he is not traded at all. Discussions have also happened with the player along these lines. For a trade to happen, multiple things need to fall into place. So it’s not that straightforward.”

Pandya played 10 matches for MI in IPL 2026, scoring 206 runs at a strike rate of 138.25. With the ball, he picked up four wickets at an economy rate of 11.42.

#5 BCCI sought feedback from IPL franchises over Impact Player rule

As per a report in Cricbuzz, the BCCI could review the much-debated Impact Player rule in the IPL, having sought feedback from all 10 franchises over the same. The report claimed that the BCCI had asked all franchises to submit their feedback by August 31.

While the BCCI has been keen on retaining the Impact Player rule in the IPL, many star cricketers like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Shubman Gill, among others, have been openly critical of the substitution rule.