The cricketing community is excited for the upcoming match between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 60th match of IPL 2025 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Both teams are looking for points to continue in the play-off race, promising a thrilling clash. The Titans have shown dominance throughout the season, while the Capitals will try to kick-start their campaign on home ground.
Delhi Capitals – Start Shining
Delhi Capitals have had a roller-coaster campaign this year, with both on-field and off-field issues facing the team. Most recently, DC had a highly unusual mid-game abandonment in Dharamsala, where there was a call for the game to be called-off due to high security alerts due to increasing tension between India and Pakistan. Of course, the team is disappointed to lose valuable match points, but the mental scarring of the game is what the players will need to overcome to start finding form again.
The last six games haven’t gone well either, winning only once in that span. While they may have mathematical hopes of making it to the playoffs, with three games remaining against upper-ranked teams, they will need to quickly start returning to their gulf form if they wish to advance. To make matters worse, they will be without Mitchell Starc for the rest of the season, a major disappointment considering he has always been a performer at the big stage and often helps his team push through to their newfound position – hostile as it may be. Mustafizur Rahman will return to some pace, so there may be some relief in their pace arsenal.
Delhi Capitals Key Players
DC will rely heavily on their spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, if they hope to face off against the aggressive GT top order. Kuldeep’s most recent form has not been ideal, but he has had some reasonable success again several GT batters, including Jos Buttler, who he has dismissed a few times in T20 cricket. As Captain, Axar Patel must find a combination of inspiration for his team throughout the game and of course getting wickets.
The batting line-up currently heads off with Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul following a poor top-order partnership. They have a strong middle-order led by Tristan Stubbs and Karun Nair known for explosive batting, yet they seem to lack stability. If they are to set a big target against the Titans, they will need to put their combinations together.
Gujarat Titans – A Power House
The Gujarat Titans have been a phenomenal team this season, currently occupying top position in the points table. With 16 points earned from 11 matches played, they are already closing in for a playoff spot needing just one more win to confirm their chances. Their consistence this season has been incredible, as all three of their top-order batters are in the 500-run club as of now.
However, the Gujarat Titans also have their own share of problems. Jos Buttler’s imminent departure by his missed last two matches before the league stage as well as on the last game of league stage leaves a gaping hole in their explosive top order. This increases reliance on its middle order to seize as much responsibility around the time in the tournament when it counts the most, including players like Rahul Tewatia and Sherfane Rutherford.
Key Performers in the Gujarat Titans
Captain Shubman Gill who has dominated the IPL for his last six matches after failing to reach at 360 runs with a breath taking average of 60. The Gujarat Titans boast top-notch bowling department lead by spin wizard Rashid Khan and pace accelerator in Kagiso Rabada. Rabada has rather favorable head to head match ups with important batters from the DC including Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul thus, he will remain important player in this match.
Head-to-Head and Venue Stats
In terms of head-to-head record between these two sides, it is balanced at 3-3 with both teams also earning a win in Delhi. Arun Jaitley Stadium is also noted for high-scoring stats therefore, if the batters click in motion, the first innings average of 215 since IPL 2024 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium suggests that we may be in for a run-fest!
Predicted Playing XIs
Delhi Capitals: Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Sameer Rizvi/Karun Nair, Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mukesh Kumar/Mohit Sharma, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav T Natarajan
Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Arshad Khan, Gerald Coetzee/Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Final Thoughts
With both teams vying for important points, we can expect a thrilling contest between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans. While Gujarat Titans look to strengthen a guaranteed top two finish in the table, DC will hope to resurrect some playoff mathematics to reinvigorate their chances. Expect a high-intensity affair as the Capitals wish to recover from recent hardships whilst the Titans continue to dominate thus far in IPL2025.
When: Sunday, May 18, 7:30 PM ISTWhere: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
