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    “It is very important to include him” – Irfan Pathan suggests one change in DC’s playing XI vs MI in IPL 2026

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    Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan has suggested including opening batter Prithvi Shaw in the Delhi Capitals (DC) XI in place of Pathum Nissanka for their IPL 2026 clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI). The match will be played later today, Saturday, April 4, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

    The Capitals won their opening game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), but Nissanka failed to impress on debut, scoring just one run off five balls. Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Pathan said that while DC might persist with the Sri Lankan batter, he would prefer Shaw, stating:

    “Play Prithvi Shaw. It is very important to include him. But Delhi might go towards Pathum Nissanka. In my team, either Prithvi Shaw or Abhishek Porel would be there. I would definitely go with Prithvi Shaw.”

    The 41-year-old also asserted that this move would allow them to include an overseas bowler in the lineup, possibly someone like Dushmantha Chameera.

    “You won’t find a better batter than him in this entire batting unit” – Irfan Pathan’s huge remark on DC player ahead of MI game

    In the same video, Irfan Pathan asserted that the Mumbai Indians will need to plan several matchups against KL Rahul, given that he is the best batter in the DC lineup, saying:

    “We know how KL Rahul can play, but the question is, what kind of bowling is he up against? You have Boult, you have Hardik, you have Bumrah, you have Allah Ghazanfar. There is real quality in that bowling attack, and Bumrah is always a trump card. So here, I feel Mumbai will have to plan a lot of matchups against KL Rahul, because you won’t find a better batter than him in this entire batting unit.”

    He further noted that although KL Rahul was dismissed for a golden duck in the tournament opener, he is likely to play in an aggressive manner this season, something the DC camp may have asked him to do. He said:

    “In the previous match, his approach was clear, he saw the first ball pitched up and attacked it straight away. It looks like he is going to play in an aggressive mode this season. Maybe the Delhi camp has also told him to play in that manner. But when it comes to a matchup against Bumrah, if there is anyone who has the ability to handle him carefully, it is KL Rahul. So this matchup will be very important to watch. Also, how Delhi’s openers play will be a major factor in this contest.”

    The 33-year-old has scored 5,222 runs in 146 matches at an average of 45.80 and a strike rate of 135.98, including 40 fifties and five centuries.