3 player battles to watch out for in DC vs RR, Match 32 of IPL 2025 ft. Karun Nair

Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) will play in the 32nd match of the ongoing 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday, April 16, at DC’s home ground, the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

DC were handed their maiden defeat of the IPL 2025 season on Sunday, April 13, when Mumbai Indians (MI) put the brakes on their four-match winning streak. DC’s middle-order batters were put to the test as, after dominating a majority of the chase, the team’s batting unit suffered a terrible collapse.

RR are still trying to find the right rhythm, having suffered four losses in six games. With just two wins to their name, the team will be in desperate need of victories from here on in their hunt for a top-four finish.

With the two sides set to go head-to-head, here’s a look at the three player battles to watch out for:

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#3 Sanju Samson vs Vipraj Nigam

Delhi’s Viraj Nigam is having a dream season this year. Besides bowling well, he has also dismissed some of the top players in the league, showcasing his magic with the ball in hand. Some of the top names include India stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

He will have another opportunity to add another big name to his bag when he bowls against Sanju Samson, the RR skipper. Samson is known to play big innings in crucial situations, and in his designated role as an opener, he would look to play a captain’s knock to provide the team with a flying start. Nigam, on the other hand, would want to play spoilsport to Samson’s plans.

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#2 KL Rahul vs Sandeep Sharma

Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul and Sandeep Sharma have a good history facing each other in T20s. The DC batter got multiple match-winning performances under his name before Mumbai bowlers put a halt to his momentum as he was dismissed for a low total during DC’s game against MI on Sunday.

With KL taking charge of the middle overs and Sandeep too unleashing his best during that time, it’ll be interesting to see who gets the better in this matchup. Over the past 11 years, Rahul has hit 93 runs off 84 deliveries against the RR bowler, getting out to him just once in these outings.

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#1 Karun Nair vs Jofra Archer

Karun Nair was in red-hot form in his first game for DC against Mumbai Indians on Sunday. He fell just a few runs short of a well-deserved century, and his dismissal led to a batting collapse as DC, who were on a four-match winning streak, were handed their first defeat of the season.

As DC face RR, Nair will be raring to go, looking to continue the same form against the Men in Pink as the side play their second consecutive home game, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. With the batter taking a place in the top order, he’ll likely face the fiery Jofra Archer, promising a riveting battle between bat and ball.