DC strongest playing 11 plus Impact Player options for IPL 2025 ft. Faf du Plessis & Axar Patel

The Delhi Capitals (DC) have an entirely new look as they gear up for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). Having lost Rishabh Pant and David Warner among others, the one-time finalists have a new captain and plenty of fresh personnel.

Axar Patel will lead the Capitals in IPL 2025, with Faf du Plessis serving as his deputy. Although Harry Brook has pulled out of the tournament and they haven't announced a replacement yet, DC seem to have the squad to seriously challenge for a playoff spot.

DC's squad for IPL 2025: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs, Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Abishek Porel, Donovan Ferreira, Axar Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, Darshan Nalkande, Vipraj Nigam, Ajay Mandal, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma, Dushmantha Chameera.

On that note, here is the strongest XI for DC, apart from a set of impact player options, for IPL 2025.

---

Openers: Jake Fraser-McGurk and Faf du Plessis

Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals - 2024 Indian Premier League - Source: Getty

Brook's withdrawal and Du Plessis' appointment as vice-captain means that Jake Fraser-McGurk could be partnered by the South African veteran at the top of the order. The duo are extremely explosive, and holding them down at the Arun Jaitley Stadium won't be an easy task for opposition bowlers.

That would also mean that KL Rahul, who has been an opener for most of his IPL career, will move down into the middle order.

---

Middle Order: Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), Ashutosh Sharma

Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals - 2024 Indian Premier League - Source: Getty

Abishek Porel, as things stand, is currently better against pace than spin and needs to be used in a role that exposes him to the powerplay. No. 3 seems natural, with Rahul following him at No. 4 unless DC want to use a batting impact player ahead of the former Lucknow Super Giants skipper.

The retained duo of Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel will make up the next portion of the middle order. Rahul's presence could free up the former to be used as an off-spin option when needed, while Axar will hope that captaincy doesn't affect the various responsibilities he will hold for the franchise.

Ashutosh Sharma, who has emerged as a powerful hitter at the death, will round off the middle order.

---

Lower Order: Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan

Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Capitals - IPL 2024 - Source: Getty

Picking DC's first-choice bowling attack is straightforward. Mitchell Starc, their marquee bowling signing at the IPL 2025 auction, will lead the pace attack. Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan don't have yards of pace, but they've been consistent across phases in the tournament over the years.

Kuldeep Yadav, meanwhile, will lead the spin attack after being retained ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.

---

Impact Player Options - Sameer Rizvi, Karun Nair, Darshan Nalkande, Mohit Sharma

Rajasthan Royals v Gujarat Titans - IPL 2024 - Source: Getty

The in-form Karun Nair and the exciting Sameer Rizvi will be DC's two batting impact player choices. They could slot in at No. 4 or No. 5 if they are needed.

If the main Capitals batters do their job, an extra fast bowler could be brought in. While Mohit Sharma offers a fair bit of death-bowling ability, Darshan Nalkande has a few slower balls of his own and can even strike the ball a fair distance.