IPL 2025 Delhi Capitals Strongest Playing 11 – KL Rahul as Captain

KL Rahul, the new Captain in charge in our strongest possible playing 11 for Delhi Capitals (DC) for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. 

For yet another year, the Delhi Capitals team will be starting afresh in the Indian Premier League with a new leader in charge. For the last 3-4 years, Delhi Capitals had seen Rishabh Pant as their leader. But both, Pant and Delhi Capitals decided to part ways this time, and in place of Pant, Delhi Capitals were able to get in KL Rahul as their new leader. It will be the third franchise for KL Rahul to lead after he was the captain of the Punjab Kings and LSG side in the last few years. 

So, what does Delhi Capitals have in store for us this time around? Well, Delhi had retained the likes of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abhishek Porel ahead of the Auction. This is a good core that Delhi selected, and aside from these four, Delhi were able to get in Jake Fraser-Mcgurk, Mukesh Kumar, and Harry Brook among existing quality players. With 7 quality payers already in the kitty, Delhi also added the likes of KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan, Ashutosh Sharma, etc., among more quality players.

Observing the squad, the team looks solid on paper with only a few minor gaps in terms of All-rounders. They do have quantity in terms of ARs, but in terms of quality, there’s only Axar Patel. So, in all, Delhi will have to play specialists in their 11. So, either they can get batting depth, or bowling depth. Well, considering all these factors, let’s look at the strongest possible playing 11 for Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2025. 

IPL 2025 Delhi Capitals Official Squad List 

Total Players: 23 // Captain: KL Rahul // Coach: Hemang Badani // Home Ground: Delhi

Batters

1. Faf du Plessis (f)
2. Harry Brook (f)
3. Jake Fraser-McGurk (f)
4. Karun Nair

Wicket-keepers

1. Abhishek Porel
2. Donavan Ferreira (f)
3. KL Rahul (c)
4. Tristan Stubbs (f)

All-rounders

1. Ajay Mandal
2. Ashutosh Sharma
3. Axar Patel
4. Darshan Nalkande
5. Madhav Tiwari
6. Manvanth Kumar
7. Sameer Rizvi
8. Tripurana Vijay
9. Vipraj Nigam

Bowlers

1. Dushmantha Chameera (f)
2. Kuldeep Yadav
3. Mitchell Starc (f)
4. Mohit Sharma
5. Mukesh Kumar
6. T Natarajan

IPL 2025 Delhi Strongest Playing 11 Analyzed

Starting with openers, Delhi Capitals have four solid options available with them in the form of KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and Abhishek Porel. Having two solid Overseas openers is a great sign for Delhi Capitals. However, it will be difficult for Delhi Capitals to play both these openers together. Hence, Delhi should mostly stick to playing KL Rahul and Fraser-McGurk as openers with Abhishek Porel at 3. Abhishek is a solid attacking batter, and playing at 3 as a WK batter should not be a bad idea for Delhi. 

With a set top order, we should then see Harry Brook and Tristan Stubbs in the middle order. It’s a great batting duo to have a talent like Brook, and a proven player like Tristan Stubbs. The only challenge in this combination could be the form and performance of Harry Brook. Brook hasn’t had the best of IPL aside from that one century he hit as an opener. So, reinventing as a middle-order batter in IPL, and playing quality spinners in the middle overs could as well be a challenge for Brook.

Talking about finishers, we should see Axar Patel and Ashhutosh Sharma as confirmed starters with a possibility of having Sameer Rizvi also in the mix as an impact player. Axar is already an experienced finisher in the lineup, and Ashutosh is an emerging finisher having done well for Punjab Kings. Also, in case needed, Sameer Rizvi can also be drafted in the 11 if Delhi lose quick wickets, and is in need of a batter. 

Strong Bowlers in Focus

Finally, bowling is an area where Delhi Capitals have a solid strength. Not a single bowler in their lineup looks lacking in experience. So, be it Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav in the spin department, or Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, or Mohit Sharma in the pace department, this is as good a lineup as one can get. So, overall, Delhi Capitals have a solid bowling lineup, which is very much needed to succeed in the tournaments like Indian Premier League.

IPL 2025 Delhi Capitals (DC) Strongest Playing 11 

1. KL Rahul (c)
2. Jake Fraser-McGurk
3. Abhishek Porel (wk)
4. Harry Brook
5. Tristan Stubbs
6. Axar Patel
7. Ashutosh Sharma
8. Mitchell Starc
9. Kuldeep Yadav
10. Mukesh Kumar
11. T Natarajan
12. Mohit Sharma / Sameer Rizvi (Impact Substitute)

So, that’s about the strongest playing 11 for Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2025. Overall, Delhi does have a solid playing 11, and it will all boil down to the Captaincy for Delhi, and how KL Rahul utilizes his troops, and inspire confidence in them. But more importantly, Delhi Capitals will have to break the jinx of having not won a single IPL trophy to date, and that in itself is a humongous task.  

© Cricgasm Cricket Articles