 "Delhi Capitals")
The Delhi Capitals are embarking on a fresh journey in the 2025 Indian Premier League season, with Axar Patel taking over the leadership reins. The departure of local hero Rishabh Pant has presented new challenges for the franchise, but the acquisition of experienced wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul during the auction has provided some much-needed depth. Despite not having won an IPL title yet, Delhi enters the new season with significant changes to both their squad and coaching staff, looking to capitalize on fresh talent and strategic shifts. As teams gear up for the IPL 2025 season, Business Standard presents key facts about DC here:
Inexperienced Leadership Group
One of the major concerns for Delhi heading into the 2025 IPL season is their leadership. Axar Patel, though a talented all-rounder, has not captained any IPL franchise on a full-time basis, making him relatively inexperienced in this role. While the decision to appoint Faf du Plessis as the vice-captain provides some support, the leadership dynamic may remain a question mark. Additionally, KL Rahul's decision to step away from leadership duties adds further uncertainty to the team's leadership structure.
DC bolstering their top-order batting
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For Delhi Capitals in 2025, the top-order batting is a key strength. The trio of Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, and KL Rahul are expected to provide the team with a formidable start. Fraser-McGurk, who showcased his explosive batting last season, will be complemented by the experience and stability of Du Plessis and Rahul. This solid top-order batting lineup promises to address the instability that plagued the team last season.
Middle-Order potential for the Capitals
While the top-order is a strength, Delhi's middle-order is where the team has the potential to win or lose matches. With young players like Ashutosh Sharma and Abhishek Porel eager to prove themselves, Delhi's middle-order could become one of the most formidable in IPL 2025 if these rising stars perform well. Experienced players like Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs add further depth to this area, creating the potential for an explosive and game-changing middle-order.
Harry Brook's Late Withdrawal
A significant setback for Delhi Capitals is the late withdrawal of Harry Brook, who was expected to add much-needed balance to their roster. Brook’s departure, just days before the season begins, has left the franchise in a difficult position. While the management is actively looking for a replacement to restore balance, the loss of Brook threatens to disrupt the team’s structure and cohesion, potentially hindering their performance in the upcoming season.
Delhi Capitals full squad for IPL 2025
Full Squad: KL Rahul, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Karun Nair, Abhishek Porel, Tristian Stubbs, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natrajan, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Faf du Plessis, Mukesh Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, Vipraj Nigam, Dushmanta Chameera, Donovan Ferreira, Ajay Mandal, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari.
DC Playing 11 (probable): Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel (wk), Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Mohit Sharma, T Natarajan.
DC handed a decent draw:
While many teams will have to be on the move in the beginning of the season, Delhi will play their first two fixtures at home in Vishakhapatnam before they set sail for Chennai.
Mumbai Indians will be opening their season against their rivals Chennai Super Kings in Chennai and have a busy travel schedule in the first 5 matches. While travelling does take some of the energy away, Mumbai players would've been accustomed to it by now and will try and adapt to the conditions as quickly as possible in the beginning of the tournament as they hope to break the first match jinx this time.
DC playing at 2 different homes:
Delhi Capitals will be flying to Vishakhapatnam for their IPL opener against Lucknow Super Giants and will be later seen playing back in Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Being the only team to have two home stadiums in the league, it will be a little difficult for the team to adjust as quickly as possible to make the most of the home advantage in the league this year as well.
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| Delhi Capitals IPL 2025 Full schedule | |||
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Time (IST) |
| March 24 | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | Vishakhapatnam | 19:30:00 |
| March 30 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | Vishakhapatnam | 15:30:00 |
| April 5 | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Chennai | 19:30:00 |
| April 10 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | Bengaluru | 19:30:00 |
| April 13 | Mumbai Indians (MI) | Delhi | 19:30:00 |
| April 16 | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Delhi | 19:30:00 |
| April 19 | Gujarat Titans (GT) | Ahmedabad | 15:30:00 |
| April 22 | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | Lucknow | 19:30:00 |
| April 27 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | Delhi | 19:30:00 |
| April 29 | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Delhi | 19:30:00 |
| May 5 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | Hyderabad | 19:30:00 |
| May 8 | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | Dharamsala | 19:30:00 |
| May 11 | Gujarat Titans (GT) | Delhi | 19:30:00 |
| May 15 | Mumbai Indians (MI) | Mumbai | 19:30:00 |
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