Delhi Capitals (DC) will take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 60th match of IPL 2025. The game will be played on Sunday evening at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Both teams are fighting to secure a playoff spot. Therefore, the stakes are very high.
Teams Affected by Mid-Season Break
Earlier, the IPL faced a mid-season pause due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan. As a result, several foreign players decided not to return. They prioritized national duty over the league. This has weakened the squads of both DC and GT.
DC’s Form Has Dropped
Initially, Delhi Capitals led the points table. However, their performance has declined. Now, they sit at fifth place. Axar Patel leads the side. But the team has failed to maintain consistency.
Moreover, the batting order has seen frequent changes. Players like Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul, and Karun Nair have all opened the innings. These constant changes have broken the team’s rhythm. In their last match, DC lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by 14 runs.
Furthermore, DC’s bowling has also suffered. Mitchell Starc left the team to prepare for the World Test Championship Final. His absence has reduced the attack’s sharpness.
Gujarat Titans on a Winning Streak
On the other hand, Gujarat Titans have found form at the right time. Shubman Gill has led the team well. Additionally, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have played key knocks and added stability to the top order.
Their bowlers have also stepped up. Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj have performed under pressure. At the same time, left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore has bowled tight spells and taken key wickets.
If GT win this match, they will qualify for the playoffs. Meanwhile, a DC win will not guarantee qualification. They will still need to win their remaining games to stay in contention.
Team Updates
Delhi Capitals are facing major setbacks. Mitchell Starc has pulled out of the tournament to focus on national duty. Jake Fraser-McGurk has also withdrawn. However, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman has received clearance for three matches, including this one. Even so, his inclusion is only a temporary fix.
In contrast, Gujarat Titans have good news. Jos Buttler and Kagiso Rabada are available. They will stay with the squad until the playoffs, which boosts GT’s chances significantly.
Pitch Report
The pitch at Arun Jaitley Stadium has returned to its usual slow and low nature. Therefore, batters will need to work hard for every run. Scoring becomes more difficult as the innings progresses. However, the shorter boundaries allow for quick runs if bowlers make errors.
In the last match here, DC scored 162 while batting first against RCB. Despite the low score, RCB took until the 19th over to chase it. This highlights the pitch’s challenges for batters.
Weather Report
As expected, Delhi will remain hot on May 18. AccuWeather predicts temperatures between 40°C and 35°C during the match. Humidity will stay around 25–30%. Consequently, dew could play a role in the second innings. That might affect the toss decision and team strategies.
Probable Playing XI's
Delhi Capitals (DC): Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Karun Nair, Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan
Impact Sub: Mukesh Kumar
Gujarat Titans (GT): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler (wk), Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Impact Sub: Sherfane Rutherford