Boost for Delhi Capitals! KL Rahul denies reports of missing IPL 2025 matches

Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul quashed all the rumors of missing Delhi Capitals’ first two games in the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025), starting on Saturday, March 22, with RCB facing KKR in the tournament opener at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

There were reports that KL Rahul will miss the first two matches of Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2025 as he is expecting his first child with his wife, actress Athiya Shetty, next month. He was signed by Delhi Capitals for INR 14 crore in the mega auction after being released by Lucknow Super Giants.

KL Rahul confirms availability for Delhi Capitals' opener in IPL 2025

The Delhi-based franchise will face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their tournament opener on March 24 at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Their second IPL 18 clash is against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 30 at the same venue.

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Amidst the reports of him missing the DC’s first two games in the IPL 2025, Rahil landed in Vizag to join his team ahead of their game against his former franchise LSG next week. Even Delhi Capitals dropped the hint that Rahul joined the team ahead of their tournament opener.

KL Rahul lands in Vizag, joins Delhi Capitals team

In the viral video, Rahul can be seen coming out of the Vizag airport after being dropped by the bus. He was seen in a black shirt and black jeans coordinated with a bean cap. In another viral post, Rahul was seen at the team hotel in Vizag. With his arrival in Visakhapatnam, it is now confirmed that Rahul will be available for the DC from the start of the season.

Now can we start the IPL? 😌 pic.twitter.com/ij4A77nHWU

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) March 22, 2025

KL Rahul aura hits differently! ❤️🥵🔥 pic.twitter.com/JuWIvG1wdS

— KLR (@KLRNation1) March 22, 2025

CLASS KL RAHUL IS HERE..!!!! 🌟

- KL Rahul Joined Delhi Capitals Team for the IPL 2025. pic.twitter.com/KqzNO4Rtrd

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) March 22, 2025

Delhi Capitals set for a fresh start in IPL 2025 under Axar Patel’s leadership

Meanwhile, the Delhi Capitals are entering IPL 2025 with a fresh start, as Axar Patel takes on the captaincy role. With Rishabh Pant no longer in the squad, the franchise faces new challenges but has strengthened its lineup by signing experienced Rahul at the mega auction.

Delhi, who is still searching for its first IPL title, has made major changes to both its squad and coaching staff. The team is looking to build a strong foundation with fresh talent and a new approach. However, one of the key concerns is the lack of experience in leadership.

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They have the new captain in Axar Patel and Faf du Plessis as his deputy, while their coaching staff has Hemang Badani (head coach), Venugopal Rao (Director of Cricket), Munaf Patel (Bowling coach), Matthew Mott (Assistant Coach), Kevin Pieterson (Mentor), and Vijay Bharadwaj (Head Talent Scout).

DC Squad for IPL 2025

In their squad for the upcoming IPL 2025, they have Rahul, Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Karun Nair, Abhishek Porel, Tristian Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, and Sameer Rizvi in their batting department, while Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, T. Natrajan, Mitchell Starc, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, and Dushmanta Chameera in the bowling department.

They also have some fresh faces in Vipraj Nigam, Donovan Ferreira, Ajay Mandal, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurana Vijay, and Madhav Tiwari in the squad for the upcoming season.