Delhi Capitals (DC) could be without its marquee Indian player, KL Rahul, for their first two IPL 2025 games. Delhi opens its account against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday (Mar 24) in Vizag, and the latest reports suggest that Rahul could be missing that match for personal reasons.

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After India’s Champions Trophy win in Dubai, Rahul announced he and his wife Athiya Shetty are awaiting the birth of their first child. As first informed by Australian women’s team cricketer Alyssa Healy during a recent chat on YouTube channel - LiSTNR Sport, Rahul could be away for the first two DC games, with the franchise losing two key batters, including England batter Harry Brook, who pulled out of the impending season earlier, for their tournament opener.

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“No Harry Brook, (so) it will be interesting to see who the replacement player will be. They have KL Rahul, who will probably not play the first couple of games, I think... they are awaiting the birth of (their) child, but that dynamic is really cool,” Healy, who joined the DC camp earlier, said during the chat. 

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“They have that power in the young guys, but they also have a KL Rahul who can stitch the innings in T20 cricket. He's going to be really exciting to watch,” she continued.

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Though the franchise is yet to announce Brook’s replacement, who cannot register his name in the IPL auction until 2028, DC will have to find an apt replacement for Rahul for the two matches to ensure they are well-equipped and ready to take down their oppositions. 

While Rahul was the frontrunner to lead Delhi in the impending season, he denied accepting the role, with the franchise appointing all-rounder Axar Patel as the new captain. The Proteas batting great, and their former skipper, Faf du Plessis, will play as his deputy. 

DC-LSG ready for a blockbuster show

After LSG and Rahul mutually decided to part ways following their first three seasons together, the Lucknow-based outfit purchased ex-DC captain Rishabh Pant for a whopping $31 million (INR 27 crore) at the mega auction late last year, with Delhi bagging Rahul’s services for $1.2 million (INR 12 crore).

With no Rahul and Brook, it remains to be seen what batting lineup DC would go ahead with for their first two matches. 

(With inputs from agencies)