Match Details:

• Date & Time: March 24, 2025 | 7:30 PM IST | 2:00 PM GMT
• Venue: Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam

Delhi Capitals Update: A Fresh Start Under Axar Patel

After missing the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, Delhi Capitals have gone for a complete makeover. The biggest change? Axar Patel takes over captaincy from Rishabh Pant, who is now leading their opponents.

Delhi’s batting firepower looks deadly with a solid top order featuring Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, and KL Rahul. Fraser-McGurk’s fearless approach and 234 strike rate last season make him a dangerous prospect, while Rahul has been Mr. Consistent, scoring 500+ runs in six of the last seven IPL seasons.

The bowling unit, however, has some concerns. While Mitchell Starc will lead the attack, his economy rate in the powerplay last season wasn’t great. The Indian trio of Mukesh Kumar, Mohit Sharma, and T Natarajan lacks recent international exposure, putting pressure on Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel to make an impact with spin.

DC Predicted XI:

Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel (wk), Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Mohit Sharma, T Natarajan
Impact Players: Ashutosh Sharma, Karun Nair

Lucknow Super Giants Update: Rishabh Pant Takes Charge

LSG had a disappointing campaign last season, finishing seventh, and they’ve now placed their trust in Rishabh Pant as captain to turn things around. Pant, DC’s top scorer last year with 446 runs, will be keen to make a statement against his former team.

Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran add power to the middle order, while David Miller’s finishing skills could be the X-factor. However, LSG’s biggest headache is their injury-hit pace attack. Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, and Mohsin Khan are unavailable, forcing them to rely on Shardul Thakur and Akash Singh. The spin attack, however, looks solid with Ravi Bishnoi leading the charge.

LSG Predicted XI:

Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, David Miller, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur / Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Akash Singh / Prince Yadav
Impact Players: M Siddharth, Arshin Kulkarni

Players to Watch:

Delhi Capitals:

• KL Rahul: A run-machine with six 500+ run seasons in the IPL, he’ll be crucial in setting the tone.
• Mitchell Starc: Needs to deliver early breakthroughs to avoid leaking runs in the powerplay.

Lucknow Super Giants:

• Rishabh Pant: Facing his former franchise, Pant’s aggressive batting could be the difference-maker.
• Ravi Bishnoi: The leggie’s ability to strike in the middle overs will be key against DC’s power hitters.

Pitch & Weather Report:

The Visakhapatnam pitch has been a batting paradise, with recent IPL matches seeing first-innings scores of 191 and 272. Spinners may come into play as the match progresses, but expect big runs.

The weather forecast predicts some afternoon showers, which might cause a delayed start, but a full match is expected.

Toss Prediction:

With batting first proving successful at this venue last season, the team winning the toss is likely to set a target rather than chase.

Match Prediction: Who Has the Edge?

Both teams have strong batting lineups, but DC’s depth and home advantage make them slight favorites. However, if Rishabh Pant and LSG’s power hitters fire, they can pull off an upset.

🔥 Prediction: Delhi Capitals to win a high-scoring thriller!