IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals vs Lucknow Super Giants – New Captains, New Challenge

Delhi Capitals take on Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025 opener.

Visakhapatnam: With a new captain and a new team, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants will face off here on Monday, aiming to start the new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a victory. This will be the second consecutive year that Delhi will play its two home matches here.

Rishabh Pant, who has played his entire IPL career with Delhi so far, will lead the Lucknow team this time, having been bought for a record ₹27 crore in the IPL auction.

Due to his hefty price tag, Pant is bound to be in the spotlight, but the wicketkeeper-batsman will look to ignore all the talk and perform well to secure his place in India’s limited-overs team. Pant was included in the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy but did not get a chance to play in any match.

On the other hand, KL Rahul, who led Lucknow for the past two seasons, will now play as a batsman for Delhi Capitals.

Delhi has appointed all-rounder Axar Patel as their captain, but Rahul’s role in the batting lineup will be crucial. The Delhi team also includes experienced South African batsman Faf du Plessis, who captained Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) until last year.