The Delhi Capitals may be without their top batsman, KL Rahul, for their crucial matchup with the Mumbai Indians due to a knee injury sustained during practice on Tuesday, May 20. The right-hander, who has been playing brilliantly in the 2025 Indian Premier League, departed the nets in the middle of the match after taking a blow to the knee from a Mukesh Kumar delivery. Rahul’s availability for the May 21 match at Wankhede Stadium is unknown as there has been no official announcement regarding his fitness.
In 11 games thus far, Rahul has amassed 438 runs at an incredible 61.63 average and a strike rate of 148.05. In DC’s last game against the Gujarat Titans, he even hit a century. But Rahul was forced to seek medical attention and quit the practice session midway on the eve of the critical match after a delivery from Mukesh struck his right knee during Tuesday’s training.
The Capitals, meanwhile, need to win both of their remaining games to earn a spot in the playoffs with 13 points from 12 games. However, with 14 points and a higher net run rate, the Mumbai Indians are in fourth place. For both sides, the forthcoming game is a virtual knockout.
Karun Nair will probably return to the starting lineup if KL Rahul doesn’t recover in time.
Nair, who earlier in the season had blasted 89 off 40 balls against Mumbai, has struggled in the games that followed, scoring only 64 runs in six innings. However, given his previous performance versus MI, he might be called up, possibly as an opener. However, Abishek Porel has taken over wicketkeeping duties in recent games, so the Capitals won’t have to worry about that.
Notably, the Indian Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for Mumbai, with heavy rains and thunderstorms expected over the next few days. If rain washes out the game, both teams will share points, complicating playoff scenarios further.
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