IPL 2025: GT Eye Smooth Sail to Playoffs, DC Face Rocky Return

It’s back, but it doesn’t quite feel like it. IPL 2025, paused abruptly last week, is resuming in a dramatically different climate—emotionally and logistically. Amid safety concerns, players left, some returned, some didn’t. Coaches hesitated, plans changed, and what was supposed to restart in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad now looks very different. For players, just getting the chance to hit the nets without fear must feel like a rare luxury.

Gujarat Titans Just One Win Away from Playoffs

Gujarat Titans (GT) have adjusted better than most. Their pragmatic, low-risk style has paid dividends—anchored by the dependable top order of Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan. They don’t chase flamboyance; instead, they build methodically, putting a price on every wicket and gauging what their bowling unit can defend. Having most of their squad still present during the pause gave them a head start. Now, just one win from their last three games would guarantee them a playoff berth.

Gill on the Brink of a Milestone

Captain Shubman Gill returns with added responsibility, potentially as India’s next Test skipper. With 21 runs needed to complete 5000 in T20s from 153 innings, he is poised to become the second-fastest Indian to the mark—only behind KL Rahul (143 innings).

Capitals Face a Tough Climb Without Starc

For Delhi Capitals (DC), the road back is bumpier. Mitchell Starc’s exit is a significant blow; he’d already turned one game around single-handedly this season. Mustafizur Rahman is expected to fill that void, but having just played a T20I in Sharjah, he’s unlikely to feature on Sunday. To make matters worse, Tristan Stubbs is set to depart on May 30 to prepare for the World Test Championship final.

DC's once-cohesive batting unit is now misfiring. They imploded against Sunil Narine while chasing 210 and could only manage 133 for 7 before rain ended their last game prematurely. They must win all three remaining matches to qualify without relying on net run rate or other results.

Kuldeep Yadav: Economical but Wicketless

Kuldeep Yadav started the season on fire, picking up wickets in every match. But he’s gone wicketless in his last three games despite maintaining an economy of 7.1—second-best among spinners with 20+ overs. He needs just one more to reach 100 IPL wickets.

Probable XIs

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada/Gerald Coetzee, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Arshad Khan, R Sai Kishore.

Delhi Capitals: Faf du Plessis, Abhishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Kuldeep Yadav, Dushmantha Chameera, Mohit Sharma/Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan.

Venue Watch: Delhi’s High-Scoring Strip

Three of four games at this venue have seen scores above 185. Spinners have fared much better than pacers here—averaging 24.07 with an economy of 8.23 compared to seamers’ 44.84 and 10.45. Add to that a scorching forecast with temperatures soaring around 40°C, and expect spin to play a major role.

Stats That Matter

KL Rahul is 33 runs short of 8000 T20 runs. If he gets there on Sunday, it’ll be in just his 214th innings—potentially making him the third-fastest to the milestone.

Rashid Khan holds a favorable match-up against Rahul in the IPL: just 40 runs conceded off 47 balls, with three dismissals.

Axar Patel has bossed spin this season, striking at 192.85—second only to Nicholas Pooran (264) among players with 100+ runs against spin.

GT’s top three have consumed 88 balls per innings on average, leaving the rest of the line-up with just 28 deliveries. It’s working now, but could backfire under playoff pressure.

Gujarat Titans are closing in on a smooth playoff entry, but Delhi Capitals are in must-win territory. With injuries, departures, and momentum against them, DC need to rediscover their early-season form—fast. Sunday’s clash in sweltering Delhi might just de