IPL 2025: Why is KL Rahul not in Starting XI in DC vs LSG Match 4?

KL Rahul will not play in the Delhi Capitals’ (DC) opening match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Monday, March 24.

In front of some of the nation’s most ardent supporters, the two teams, each vying for their first IPL championship, will square off at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. The captains of both teams have been replaced. LSG will be led by Rishabh Pant against his old team. Axar Patel will lead the Capitals in the interim.

Toss Update

Axar Patel won the toss and invited Lucknow Super Giants to bat first. He refused to take any risk, pointing out that dew could play a role in the second innings.

He also revealed that Faf du Plessis, Tristan Stubbs, Mitchell Starc, and Jake Fraser-McGurk are the four overseas players for DC in this clash. Meanwhile, Pant admitted that he would have also bowled first had he won the toss. The wicketkeeper-batter, however, noted that the wicket looked good and he hoped his team would be able to put up a decent score on the board. He ended by naming Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and David Miller as the four overseas players in the playing XI.

Why is KL Rahul not playing?

KL Rahul is missing the game due to “personal” reasons. Axar mentioned the same during the pre-match press conference on Sunday, March 23.

According to reports, Rahul has been granted special permission by the DC management to skip the match against LSG. The experienced campaigner joined Delhi’s practice session on Saturday. On the personal front, he is expecting the birth of his first child with Bollywood actress Athiya Shetty.

What did both the captains say at the toss?

Axar Patel (Delhi Capitals)

We are going to bowl first. It’s the dew factor, we don’t want to take any risk, that’s why we are bowling first. I have played with Pant before, he knows me and I know him. We know our tricks. I have played a lot for the Capitals, we have a well balanced side. There’s dew sometimes, not always. I have been with DC since three years, I have been with the leadership group. I need to work accordingly. Need to think like a leader. Faf du Plessis, Stubbs, Starc and Fraser-McGurk are our four overseas.

Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants)

I wanted to bowl first but It’s a good wicket so we can bat well and put up a good score. I have played for DC all my life, so a lot of emotions there. Preparations have been well, everyone is in the right shape and in the right frame of mind. Markram, Marsh, Pooran and Miller are our four overseas players.

DC vs LSG Playing XIs

Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant(w/c), David Miller, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi

Impact Subs: Manimaran Siddharth, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Akash Singh, RS Hangargekar

Delhi Capitals: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel(w), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar