IPL 2025: Bowlers corner focus in clash of table toppers

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Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans, possessing formidable bowling attacks, are set to clash. The focus will be on bowlers like Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj. While DC’s batting relies on KL Rahul and Abhishek Porel, uncertainty surrounds Faf du Plessis’s availability, but their strong middle order makes them a well-rounded team.

Ahmedabad: In-form teams Delhi Capitals (DC) and Gujarat Titans (GT) will clash here on Saturday with the focus on the premier bowlers on both sides, especially after Mitchell Starc took DC to a fine win over Rajasthan Royals with his inswinging yorkers.

Starc’s fellow pacers Mukesh Kumar and Mohit Sharma also played their parts in that game, but against GT they will have to compete for eyeballs with another fine bowling unit.

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GT and DC, in fact, boast the two best bowling units this season — five of the top 11 wicket-takers so far are from the two teams. Pacer Prasidh Krishna (10 wickets, economy rate 6.95), left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore (10 at 8.47), and opening bowler Mohammed Siraj (10 at 8.50) have ensured that Titans haven’t suffered on the bowling front inspite of the meagre returns from their talisman leg spinner Rashid Khan and the absence of Kagiso Rabada.

The Capitals’s lead spinner, meanwhile, is in supreme form — left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has 11 wickets (ER 6.04) and is second on the list of top wicket-takers behind CSK’s Noor Ahmad.

Kuldeep’s returns in the middle overs have strangled opposition teams, while Starc’s reverse swinging yorkers in the death overs have knocked the wind out of the opposition’s sails. Mukesh Kumar has been metronomic in the opening overs and Mohit Sharma’s slower balls and good-length deliveries in the middle have made him difficult to score off. DC’s mystery spinner Vipraj Nigam, the Capitals’ find of the season, and captain Axar Patel, though not among the wickets, have been able to keep the scoring under check.

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The Capitals’ batting has revolved around mainstay KL Rahul. While Jake Fraser-McGurk hasn’t fired, lefthanded opener Abhishek Porel has risen to the occasion.

Uncertainty still persists around the availability of South African Faf du Plessis.

However, a strong middle order comprising Rahul, Axar, Ashutosh Sharma, and South African Tristan Stubbs has made the Capitals a well-rounded unit.

Likely XII: GT: Shubman Gill (capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna DC: Faf du Plessis/Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (capt), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar

Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.