🏏IPL 2025 - Match 48: DC vs KKR on 29 April 2025 @ 7:30 PM IST🏏 - Page 5

Stands filling up a little slower than on Sunday night (as you'd expect) as the sun goes down. Delhi didn't train last night so there's more pre-match interaction than usual between the two teams, including an England meet-up between Kevin Pietersen, Ottis Gibson and Moeen Ali. We're one strip over from the RCB game here on Sunday, right in the middle of the square.

Faf du Plessis: This IPL hasn't been like the ones (in terms of fitness) I have had before. There have been a couple of niggles, but happy to be back on the park, today is a really big game for us. We haven't had back-to-back losses this season, so we need to get that 'W' back today. You want to have that established opening combination at the top, but for various reasons we have had quite a lot of openers this season. Hopefully we can now start finding consistency with our roles, especially in the next 3-4 games leading in those knockouts. The nice thing is that everyone has performed at different stages, that's also a blessing in disguise when it comes to our batting unit. At the moment we are not relying on one person. The previous game we played here against RCB, the wicket was very slow and low, especially in that first innings. There was some dew at the backend. That wicket would have been the perfect wicket for KKR, hopefully we get a wicket that's not as same as the previous one. The guys persuaded me to be on the field, hopefully you will see me the next game at long-off.

"Greetings from Arun Jaitley Stadium! Hemang Badani and Kevin Pietersen are in early and are having a close look at the pitch. It is pitch No. 5 - the centre wicket - with a bit of grass," informs our correspondent Gokul Gopal.

Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora marked their run-ups. Rana bruised his left elbow in the last game, landing on the practice pitch trying to take a catch, and has a bandage around it. Rana then warms up by bowling to DC skipper Axar Patel.

Faf du Plessis: This IPL hasn't been like the ones (in terms of fitness) I have had before. There have been a couple of niggles, but happy to be back on the park, today is a really big game for us. We haven't had back-to-back losses this season, so we need to get that 'W' back today. You want to have that established opening combination at the top, but for various reasons we have had quite a lot of openers this season. Hopefully we can now start finding consistency with our roles, especially in the next 3-4 games leading in those knockouts. The nice thing is that everyone has performed at different stages, that's also a blessing in disguise when it comes to our batting unit. At the moment we are not relying on one person. The previous game we played here against RCB, the wicket was very slow and low, especially in that first innings. There was some dew at the backend. That wicket would have been the perfect wicket for KKR, hopefully we get a wicket that's not as same as the previous one. The guys persuaded me to be on the field, hopefully you will see me the next game at long-off.

Pitch and conditions: From the Delhi Gate end on Pitch No. 5, the square boundaries are nearly equidistant (62m), 58 fine, 69 through cover and long-on, 67 straight. The outfield is expected to be quick.

Nick Knight says the surface for tonight is slightly better than the one vs MI, RCB. That was drier-looking, this is more compact and has sheen. So, the wicket will hold together a bit more. DC wanted to play MI on a slower surface, but here against KKR they have been specific and play on a better surface that's not going to bring in Narine or Chakravarthy into the game as much. He expects a 180-plays-180 game. It's not a belter but Knight expects the score to be higher than 162.

From Matt: Mitchell Starc is catching up while a few old KKR team-mate - Venky Iyer, Harshit Rana - while marking his run-up. First time he's played against KKR since his release

Faf du Plessis: This IPL hasn't been like the ones (in terms of fitness) I have had before. There have been a couple of niggles, but happy to be back on the park, today is a really big game for us. We haven't had back-to-back losses this season, so we need to get that 'W' back today. You want to have that established opening combination at the top, but for various reasons we have had quite a lot of openers this season. Hopefully we can now start finding consistency with our roles, especially in the next 3-4 games leading in those knockouts. The nice thing is that everyone has performed at different stages, that's also a blessing in disguise when it comes to our batting unit. At the moment we are not relying on one person. The previous game we played here against RCB, the wicket was very slow and low, especially in that first innings. There was some dew at the backend. That wicket would have been the perfect wicket for KKR, hopefully we get a wicket that's not as same as the previous one. The guys persuaded me to be on the field, hopefully you will see me the next game at long-off.

Delhi's unsung hero?

A consistent yet underrated performer for Delhi Capitals over 2024 and 2025 has been South African Tristan Stubbs. Whether it it to score runs in the middle overs, bail the team out of trouble or smash at the death, Stubbs has done his job superbly.

Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora marked their run-ups. Rana bruised his left elbow in the last game, landing on the practice pitch trying to take a catch, and has a bandage around it. Rana then warms up by bowling to DC skipper Axar Patel. Mukesh Kumar and Mitchell Starc have marked their run-up now. Starc gets a hug from Rana and Venkatesh Iyer.

KL Rahul under pressure?

While KL Rahul started off the season in a rich vein of form, questions over his strike-rate have begun to crop up, particularly after he scored 41 off 39 in DC's defeat to RCB in their previous match. So far in IPL 2025, Rahul has scored 364 runs in 8 games at a strike rate of 146.