April 27, 2025: In a significant boost for Delhi Capitals (DC), vice-captain Faf du Plessis has been declared fit and will return to action for the upcoming IPL 2025 clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. Du Plessis, who had been sidelined with a groin injury, missed several recent matches but is now available for selection, according to DC’s assistant coach Jake Fraser-McGurk.
“He’s available tomorrow from my understanding. He should be available for selection,” said McGurk on April 26, confirming the return of the former South Africa captain. Du Plessis’ last appearance for DC was on April 10, where he played as an impact player against RCB but was dismissed for a single-digit score. Before that, he had scored 29 runs against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and a half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
This will mark Du Plessis’ first appearance at DC’s original home ground, the Arun Jaitley Stadium. His return will likely force a reshuffle in the batting order, with Karun Nair potentially losing his spot as an opener. Nair may be moved to No. 3 or No. 4, with young Abhishek Porel partnering Du Plessis at the top of the order.
In the last encounter between DC and RCB in Bengaluru, the Axar Patel-led DC won by six wickets in a thrilling chase of 164 runs. Despite a top-order collapse, Rahul’s unbeaten 93 off 53 balls, with support from Tristan Stubbs (38 from 23 balls), guided DC to victory with 13 balls to spare.
Meanwhile, young Australian opener, who has struggled with the bat this season, expressed confidence in his process despite a challenging first half. “It’s not great this year, but you can’t be too results-based. You have to trust the process and keep backing your strengths,” said the 23-year-old.
Currently, DC sits second on the points table with six wins from eight matches. A win over RCB would see them reclaim the top spot.