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IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals look to build fortress for spinners

IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals look to build fortress for spinners

Arani Basu / TNN / Apr 13, 2025, 11:46 IST

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Delhi Capitals, after a dominant start, aim to tailor the Kotla pitch to favor their spinners against Mumbai Indians. Despite recent high-scoring games at the venue, DC seems to be preparing a surface that assists Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Vipraj Nigam. While Kuldeep is in form, the team hopes Axar finds his rhythm at this venue.

IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals look to build fortress for spinners

Bengaluru: Delhi Capitals' Vipraj Nigam celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 T20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak) *** Local Caption ***

Delhi Capitals have seldom been the team to beat in the IPL. They have got into a very good rhythm with dominant wins in their first four matches. But when they take on Mumbai Indians in their first game at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Sunday, the attempt will be to make the surface amenable for spinners Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam.
The Kotla pitch had managed to shed the reputation of being a low and slow surface in the past two years, with gigantic scores being posted in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the IPL last season. The DC team management seemed to have spent a considerable time around the main square.
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Comparing the strip on Saturday evening from Friday, there was a marked difference in the grass covering. The DC squad hasn’t practiced much at the Kotla this year. They played just one practice match on March 16.

The pitch isn’t likely to play excruciatingly slow because of the hard nature of the surface. But it could come down to how the slow bowlers from each team derive the most out of the surface.
While Kuldeep has been in top form and Nigam showing promising signs, skipper Axar hasn’t got a single wicket this season so far. This could be the venue he truly gets into the game.
Likely XII:
DC: Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh
Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Mohit Sharma.
MI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Vignesh Puthur.

Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don't miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.

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