As Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) prepare to clash in their opening Indian Premier League 2025 match on Monday, both teams face fresh challenges under new leadership and revamped squads. The Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium will host the encounter as DC’s temporary home venue for two matches this season.
One of the most anticipated storylines is Rishabh Pant’s move to LSG for a staggering Rs 27 crore during the mega auction. Having been benched during the recent Champions Trophy, this IPL season serves as a crucial opportunity for Pant to showcase his white-ball prowess.
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On the other hand, KL Rahul, who previously led LSG for two seasons, has transitioned to DC, taking on the role of a key batter rather than captain. Instead, the leadership mantle has been passed to Axar Patel, despite the presence of experienced candidates like Faf du Plessis.
DC boasts a balanced lineup featuring the experience of du Plessis and the pace of Mitchell Starc, who recently joined after missing the Champions Trophy. The middle order looks formidable with the likes of Karun Nair, Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, and Rahul. The bowling unit is equally strong, with spin spearheaded by Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, while pacers T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, and Dushmantha Chameera add depth.
LSG, meanwhile, relies on domestic talent alongside overseas stars such as Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran. The team faces challenges with limited overseas availability and Indian pacers Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, and Akash Deep currently in rehabilitation.
Shardul Thakur bolsters LSG’s bowling strength following his impressive Ranji Trophy performances, replacing the injured Mohsin Khan. Additionally, Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Ravi Bishnoi are expected to play key roles in the pace and spin departments, respectively.
With both teams aiming to establish momentum early in the tournament, the clash between DC and LSG promises to be an exciting and unpredictable battle.
Teams (from):
- Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel (c), KL Rahul (wk), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Karun Nair, Faf du Plessis, Donovan Ferreira, Abhishek Porel (wk), Tristan Stubbs (wk), Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Darshan Nalkande, Vipraj Nigam, Ajay Mandal, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav.
- Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (c&wk), David Miller, Aiden Markram, Aryan Juyal, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, Ayush Badoni, Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, M Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi.
The match starts at 7:30 PM IST.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and IPL live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.
