With Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul swapping jerseys ahead of this season, some insights will still remain within the camps of DC and LSG , even as their squads have undergone changes. The coaching staff has also seen a shake-up. Fresh faces and new strategies are in place, but lingering challenges remain—how to rise to the level of the league’s top contenders.
Even before the tournament begins, both teams are dealing with player availability issues. Harry Brook has withdrawn from the competition once again, and several Indian pacers that LSG had wisely invested in are unfit to start the season. Given that both Delhi Capitals and the injury-hit Lucknow Super Giants are now among the less formidable teams on paper, this matchup comes at an ideal time for them to test each other.
Both teams missed out on the playoffs last season, but despite their depleted squads, they have a chance to register an early victory this year. That opportunity awaits in Visakhapatnam, the coastal city serving as the Capitals’ temporary home ground for two matches. Understanding the conditions here will be crucial for DC to gain early momentum and shape their IPL campaign.
The last time they played here, Kolkata Knight Riders—eventual champions—decimated their bowlers. With a new pace attack leading the charge this season, DC will hope to return the favor against their opponents’ relatively inexperienced bowling unit.
Match Details
📅 When: Sunday, March 24, 2025, 7:30 PM IST
📍 Where: Dr. YSR Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
What to Expect
The last IPL match at this venue saw Kolkata Knight Riders amass a massive 272 runs. Given LSG’s weakened pace attack, DC have the perfect stage to showcase their aggressive batting in what could be another high-scoring contest. Notably, both previous IPL games at this ground were won by teams batting first.
Head-to-Head
🏏 LSG lead 3-2 – Both of Delhi Capitals’ victories came in the last season.
Team Watch
Delhi Capitals
🔴 Injury/Unavailability: Harry Brook has pulled out of the IPL, impacting DC’s plans but also creating room to strengthen their top order.
🧠 Tactics & Matchups: LSG are expected to feature three or four left-handers in the middle order, potentially limiting Axar Patel’s impact with the ball. However, Kuldeep Yadav and part-time offspinner Tristan Stubbs could play a more crucial role.
📝 Probable XI:
Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan
(Impact Sub: Karun Nair/Mohit Sharma)
Lucknow Super Giants
🔵 Injury/Unavailability: Shardul Thakur has replaced the injured Mohsin Khan, but LSG’s pace unit has been hit hard, with Mayank Yadav, Akash Deep, and Avesh Khan also likely to miss the opening game.
🧠 Tactics & Matchups: DC’s top-seven includes just two left-handers—Axar Patel and Abishek Porel—which could make LSG’s spinners more influential in a team that is already light on pace options.
📝 Probable XI:
Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravi Bishnoi, Shamar Joseph
(Impact Sub: Akash Singh/Shahbaz Ahmed/Manimaran Siddarth)
Did You Know?
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Delhi Capitals’ record in Visakhapatnam (2024): 1 win, 1 loss. Both games were won by the team batting first.
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Rishabh Pant’s last T20 opening appearance: November 2022. His last IPL opening stint was back in 2016.
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KL Rahul’s batting concern: Since IPL 2023, he has the third-lowest overall strike rate among openers and the second-lowest powerplay strike rate. He could be shifted to the middle order this season.
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