Why is KL Rahul not named in DC's starting Playing XI for the MI vs DC IPL 2025 match?

In a do-or-die clash at the Wankhede Stadium against the five-time champions, Delhi Capitals have presented a rather shocking lineup. Faf du Plessis walked out for the toss in the MI vs DC IPL 2025 match instead of team captain Axar Patel. The 40-year-old South African subsequently informed that the spin all-rounder has not been keeping well for the past two days. Meanwhile, another surprise in the DC playing XI for the all-important fixture is the absence of KL Rahul from the starting combination. Faf du Plessis opted to field first in the match against Mumbai Indians, and Abishek Porel has been designated as the wicket-keeper in the lineup.

Our playing XI for the mega clash 💪@sports_gmr pic.twitter.com/5b82qn0UMx

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) May 21, 2025

The MI vs DC match at Wankhede is a virtual knockout game for the Capitals. With 13 points in 12 matches, DC need to win their remaining matches at any cost to grab the last remaining berth in the IPL 2025 playoffs. While the equation is not as dire for MI, the former champions would hope to earn the "Q" as soon as they can. Moreover, amid all the rocketing stakes, Mumbai has posed a rain threat, as the respective teams hope for the clouds to give enough space for a result.

Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, need to do without their captain, Axar Patel, at Wankhede. Faf du Plessis, as the designated captain, has taken the reins of the team for the fixture. Moreover, despite DC opting to field first, KL Rahul has been named in the impact sub list instead of the DC Playing XI. While Abishek Porel will don the keeping gloves for the contest, KL Rahul, one of the very few in-form batters in the DC lineup, is expected to join the Playing XI during the chase.

DC Playing XI for the MI vs DC IPL 2025 match

Faf du Plessis(c), Abishek Porel(w), Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Kuldeep Yadav, Dushmantha Chameera, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Kumar

Impact Players: KL Rahul, Sediqullah Atal, Karun Nair, Tripurana Vijay, Manvanth Kumar L

MI Playing XI

Ryan Rickelton(w), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Impact Players: Karn Sharma, Corbin Bosch, Raj Bawa, Ashwani Kumar, Satyanarayana Raju