Struggling openers Rohit Sharma and Jake Fraser-McGurk under the scanners: DC vs MI IPL 2025 likely XI
Rohit Sharma and Jake Fraser-McGurk have both struggled in the early part of this tournament, and will be on notice to perform in the first Delhi match of 2025.
The unbeaten Delhi Capitals are looking to write a little bit of history for the team, and the energy and optimism within the unit will be at an all-time high as they finally prepare to play in front of their home fans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Having set a franchise record of four consecutive wins in Bangalore on Thursday, they are ready to play their role in the eternal Dilli-Bombay rivalry, as they play host to a lagging Mumbai Indians.
Delhi have looked like a totally settled and in-the-groove unit, with the best spin attack, pacers to cover all phases of the game, and an exciting batting unit that is stitched together by KL Rahul rediscovering himself as an IPL player. If there is any concern, Jake Fraser-McGurk is at the top of the order. The flamboyant Australian is intrinsically a hit-or-miss player, but he hasn’t hit quite yet this season, and patience will begin to wear thin at some point.
Fraser-McGurk will need to perform in Delhi to keep his role in the team intact. The true bounce of the pitch and the small boundaries at this ground suit his free-swinging abilities, which means his excuses are running out. Names such as Karun Nair and Sameer Rizvi are waiting in the wings, with Abishek Porel ready to step back into a role as opener for DC. Can Fraser-McGurk have an impact against the high-quality swing and seam that Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, and Deepak Chahar promise?
Mumbai Indians have a lot more problems than Delhi, slipping to four losses in their first five games. A pair of close-cut losses in their last two games mean they will have a little bit of confidence that they are close to finding a win, and this is a franchise that knows how to turn it around after slow starts. Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t at his unplayable best in his first match back from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but has had nearly a week more to recover since. The best bowler in the competition will simply add so much quality to this MI lineup.
MI’s playing XI actually looks fairly settled with Bumrah’s return, with not much need for experimentation if all their players are fit heading into this match. There will be some tough questions asked about Rohit Sharma if he continues to fail, but expect him to start in Delhi as he too faces his last few chances to come good. With their stacked middle order and bowling resources, it’s only a matter of time before MI strings a couple of wins together.
DC vs MI IPL 2025 Match 29 likely XIs
DC likely XI: Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar
MI likely XI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
