Rahul and Pant Face Off as Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants Kick Off IPL 2025

Visakhapatnam, March 23, 2025: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season is set for an electrifying start as Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) go head-to-head in their opening fixture on Monday. The match marks a fresh chapter for both franchises, with high-profile changes in leadership and squad composition.

One of the most anticipated aspects of the clash is KL Rahul's debut for DC against his former team, LSG. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant, the most expensive player in IPL history, will lead LSG for the first time—facing the franchise he represented for nearly a decade.

Rahul’s Transition to DC, Pant’s Leadership Test at LSG

Rahul’s exit from LSG followed a turbulent IPL 2024 season, culminating in an intense exchange with team owner Sanjiv Goenka. Now, with Axar Patel assuming DC’s captaincy, Rahul has the opportunity to focus solely on his batting. For Pant, this game is equally significant—leading LSG in Visakhapatnam, where he received a hero’s welcome last year after recovering from a career-threatening accident.

New-Look Squads and Key Challenges

DC has undergone a major overhaul, strengthening their bowling unit with the addition of Mitchell Starc, Mohit Sharma, and T Natarajan. In contrast, LSG faces a setback as several key Indian fast bowlers, including Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan, remain unavailable due to injuries.

The contest is likely to be defined by LSG’s batting prowess against DC’s revamped bowling attack. Additionally, a key question remains—should Pant open the batting? With Nicholas Pooran and David Miller as middle-order power hitters, LSG may consider pushing Pant up the order.

Expected Playing XIs

Delhi Capitals (Probable XI): Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (capt), Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi/Mohit Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar.

Lucknow Super Giants (Probable XI): Yuvraj Chaudhary, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravi Bishnoi, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav.

As both teams look to redefine their identity, the clash between Rahul and Pant adds an extra layer of intrigue, making it one of the most anticipated matches of IPL 2025.