The IPL 2025 clash between the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is shaping up as a critical encounter, with both teams desperate to regain lost ground. After a promising start to the season, DC have hit a rough patch, while KKR have struggled to string together consistent performances.
A significant factor in DC’s decline has been the absence—and now underwhelming return—of Faf du Plessis. The veteran opener was sidelined with a groin injury after lighting up the tournament early on. Though he returned to the XI against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Du Plessis looked off-rhythm. For DC to make a strong playoff push, they’ll need him firing again.
Another early-season strength for DC was the dynamic bowling duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Mitchell Starc. Kuldeep was sensational in the opening four games, claiming eight wickets at a frugal economy. But the magic has faded—he’s only managed four wickets in the last five matches, with his economy and strike rates both taking a hit. Similarly, Starc’s form has nosedived, picking up just two wickets across five outings following an explosive start.
DC vs KKR squads
Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Sameer Rizvi, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay, Dushmantha Chameera, Faf du Plessis, T Natarajan, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Manvanth Kumar L, Madhav Tiwari.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Chetan Sakariya.
KL Rahul’s campaign also mirrors DC’s inconsistency. After missing the season opener, Rahul stormed back with 185 runs in his next three innings at a blistering strike rate of 169.72. Since then, however, he’s mustered only 179 runs in five innings, and his strike rate has dropped to a modest 127.85. What began as a promising campaign for unlocking Rahul’s full T20 potential now looks uncertain.
DC vs KKR: Weather update
Expect a hot and dry evening in Delhi for the DC vs KKR match, with no significant threat of rain. Dew could become a factor later in the game.
DC vs KKR: Livestreaming details
The DC vs KKR match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi. The match will start at 7:30 pm. The match will be telecasted on Star Sports Network and live streaming will be on JioHotstar.
Compounding DC’s woes is their unstable top-order combination. No team has shuffled their openers more—five players have already had a go at the role, the highest in the league. Unsurprisingly, their average opening partnership of 24.22 ranks among the lowest, only slightly better than CSK and KKR.
Delhi predicted XI: Abhishek Porel, Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel (c), Triston Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma
KKR predicted XI: Rahamanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy
As the Capitals aim to arrest their slide, KKR find themselves in a similar bind. Inconsistent performances have hampered their progress, leaving them adrift from the top-four mix. DC are clinging to hope in the playoff race, while KKR are looking to salvage momentum.
With both sides in desperate need of a statement win, today’s result could significantly shape the mid-table battle and determine which team keeps its playoff hopes alive.
Prediction: Back the Capitals to edge KKR in an exciting clash.