The Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to lock horns with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 48 of IPL 2025, scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. With the playoff race heating up, both teams are desperate for a crucial win to keep their hopes alive. DC, currently placed fourth on the points table with six wins from nine games, will look to bounce back after their defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
A win here will bring them within touching distance of a playoff spot, removing the need to rely on other results. KKR, led by Ajinkya Rahane, find themselves under pressure. With just three wins, five losses, and one no-result so far, they sit seventh in the standings and must string together wins to stay alive in the competition. Another defeat could severely dent their playoff chances.
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Historically, contests between DC and KKR have been tightly fought. Out of 34 matches, KKR holds a slight edge with 18 victories, while DC have 15 wins and one tied game. Last season, KKR triumphed in both encounters. However, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the rivalry stands evenly poised with five wins apiece. A thrilling encounter awaits as both sides fight to stay in the playoff hunt.
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Faf du Plessis made his comeback in Delhi Capitals’ (DC) last game after a brief injury layoff, but the veteran looked slightly rusty, managing just 22 runs off 26 balls. Nevertheless, DC are likely to back their experienced campaigner and stick with the same playing combination.
KL Rahul could be crucial for DC against the KKR spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine. While most DC batters have struggled against them, Rahul boasts a solid record against Narine, scoring 114 runs at an average of 57.00 and a strike rate of 134.12, despite two dismissals. Against Varun, however, he has been more cautious, managing 45 runs off 46 balls.
Probable XII: Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Ashutosh Sharma
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Ajinkya Rahane’s vulnerability against spin could be a factor. He averages only 20 against spin this season. DC’s spinners could look to exploit that. Dushmantha Chameera may also be a trump card against Andre Russell, having dismissed him thrice in T20s.
Harshit Rana, who injured his elbow last game, confirmed he is fit to play. Meanwhile, with the pitch likely to assist spinners, Moeen Ali might replace Rovman Powell for KKR, while Ramandeep Singh or Manish Pandey could bolster the batting. Varun and Narine remain KKR’s biggest threats with the ball.
Probable XII: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh/Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Moeen Ali, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
KL Rahul, Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane, Axar Patel, Sunil Narine (vc), Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav (c), Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Tristan Stubbs, KL Rahul (vc), Karun Nair, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Axar Patel, Sunil Narine, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora
