Sahil Parakh: All about the 18-year-old who made his IPL debut with Delhi Capitals today
Young Maharashtra batter Sahil Parakh made his debut for Delhi Capitals on Monday, opening alongside KL Rahul in their IPL 2026 clash against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
The 18-year-old, who represented India at the Under-19 level in 2024, earned his spot after progressing through the Maharashtra setup and featuring in two matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He had earlier grabbed attention with an unbeaten 109 off 75 balls against Australia during his U-19 stint.
A left-handed batter who can also bowl leg-spin, Parakh was signed by Delhi Capitals for Rs 30 lakh in the IPL 2026 auction. Captain Axar Patel confirmed at the toss that the youngster replaced Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka at the top of the order.
However, it proved to be a tough start, as Parakh was bowled for a two-ball duck by veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, leaving Delhi Capitals at 0/1 inside the opening over.
Speaking at the toss, Axar said he would have preferred to chase given the small ground dimensions and improving pitch, adding that despite a recent loss after posting 264, the team remains focused on maintaining consistency. He also confirmed changes in the bowling attack, with Dushmantha Chameera and Kyle Jamieson coming in, while Mukesh Kumar was rested.
Playing XIs
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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