The Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign gets underway for both teams on Monday at Visakhapatnam’s ACA-VDCA Stadium. The contest will be an important milestone in the career of Rishabh Pant, who will lead LSG in their first game against his old club, Delhi Capitals.
Pant was one of DC’s main men and was purchased by Sanjiv Goenka-owned LSG for a record Rs 27 crore in the IPL 2025 auction.
KL Rahul Set to Miss Season Opener for Personal Reasons
While everyone waits with bated breath for Pant’s leadership debut, availability of KL Rahul is in doubt. Rahul, who shifted to Delhi Capitals for Rs 14 crore after captaining LSG ever since their first season in 2022, is said to be dealing with personal issues and could miss the season opener.
DC captain Axar Patel spoke about the situation before the match, saying, “Obviously, he joined the team and we all know that he has a personal problem. So, we don’t know yet. So, if he comes back, we ask him if he is okay and we’ll let you know tomorrow morning. I think we’ve got to know and so, now we don’t know if he is available or not.”
Rahul Awaits Arrival of First Child
Rahul and his wife, Bollywood actress Athiya Shetty, are having their first child. The pair announced the pregnancy on social media in November. Because of this, Rahul is said to have joined DC’s pre-season camp late.
Rahul’s Exit from LSG Was Embroiled in Controversy
Rahul and Pant were among the big-name players let go by their franchises before the mega auction that took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in November. While Pant landed with LSG, Rahul’s departure from LSG was not so smooth. The right-hand batter also had a public spat with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka after Goenka openly criticized Rahul following the team’s comprehensive 10-wicket loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
While DC and LSG prepare for their season-opening match, fans are looking forward to Pant’s captaincy debut and more news on Rahul’s availability.
