Match 48 of the 2025 Indian Premier League season brings us a clash between the high-flying Delhi Capitals and the struggling Kolkata Knight Riders at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 29.
For the game, here are our preview and predictions.
The Capitals have been one of the most balanced sides in the IPL this season. In terms of batting, their top and middle orders look sorted, with Abhishek Porel, Karun Nair, and KL Rahul providing the experience and stability ahead of the likes of Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs, and Ashutosh Sharma, who have been delivering the fireworks later on. In the bowling department, the in-form Capitals are once again well-equipped, with Patel and Kuldeep Yadav leading the spin attack and Mitchell Starc and Mukesh Kumar delivering the goods with their pace.
In their last fixture, DC beat the Lucknow Super Giants. The team from Uttar Pradesh had started well courtesy of openers Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh but lost wickets in the middle. Only Ayush Badoni’s late cameo took them to a respectable total of 159/6. In response, the visitors chased down the total with relative ease, with Porel, Rahul, and Patel taking the team home with 13 balls to spare.
In contrast, the Knight Riders are having a dismal run after lifting the trophy last season. Having let go a host of crucial players from last season, KKR definitely seem to have missed a trick in the mega auction. They look disjointed with both bat and bowl. Barring captain Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, no other KKR batter has been consistent. The spin bowling of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy has yielded wickets, but the fast bowlers haven’t assisted at all and have gone for a lot of runs.
In their last fixture, KKR played the Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens. The Kings batted first and managed a big total of 201/4 as openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya led the way with scores of 60+ each. In response, the reigning champions could only bat for an over before rain played spoilsport and the match was abandoned, earning both sides a point each.
Given their current form, the Capitals are unquestionably the better side compared to the Knight Riders, who are struggling for not just form but also confidence and motivation. Hence, we back DC for a home win.
Fantasy XI: Abhishek Porel (wk), KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, Axar Patel (c), Sunil Narine, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana
Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
Winners Prediction: Delhi Capitals
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