Virat Kohli's nearly two-decade long agonising wait to lay his hands on an IPL trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be up against Shreyas Iyer's resolve to make first-time winners out of the tenacious Punjab Kings.
The defeat against Mumbai Indians was the 45th home loss for Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi to equal RCB's record.
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DC skipper Axar Patel said four wins in four matches had given the team a huge boost in morale.
Both DC and LSG have 10 points and a win will keep them safely perched in the higher echelons of the points table ahead of the jostlers.
India captain Rohit Sharma moved up two places to third in the latest ICC ODI batter rankings following his stellar performance in the Champions Trophy final, while teammate Shubman Gill held on to the top spot.
Although Kohli and Krunal made the chase look simple, it was anything but, especially on a pitch that offered some help for the bowlers.
Both were equally good balls: Kuldeep Yadav on prized wickets of Babar Azam and Jos Buttler
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy final played between India and New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
The squad also features Karun Nair, who returns to the national set up after a long gap of eight years.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's bid for a maiden home victory this IPL season will depend on their batters' ability to handle the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell when they face the Punjab Kings on Friday.
India's young guns are fearless and mentally hardened by the IPL exposure. But true mettle will be tested when adversity strikes -- and this time, there will be no Kohli to stir up the crowd, no Rohit to deliver a captaincy masterstroke, and no Ashwin to conjure wickets out of nowhere.
India spinner Kuldeep Yadav believes that he was able to create confusion in the minds of Pakistan's batters because they went for high-risk sweep shots despite failing to read his hand during the marquee World Cup clash in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Kuldeep Yadav expects the bowlers to have a tough time at Mumbai's batting-friendly Wankhede Stadium.
Although Manjrekar believes that Chahal will likely be chosen for the World Cup, he personally favours Kuldeep in the 50 overs format.
Before the Champions Trophy final, a look at the 'Team Behind the Team'.
In a format often dominated by innovation and brute force, Gujarat Titans' Subhman Gill and Sai Sudharsan once again reminded the fans that proper cricketing shots still thrive in the hustle of modern T20 cricket.
Punjab cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal was told he is left with only NRI Affairs portfolio as the administrative reforms department he was holding for the past nearly 21 months did not exist, according to a government notification.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji check out who could be the Most Valuable Player of IPL 2025 before the final.
Mark Chapman has taken his place in the field.
Fresh from their morale-boosting win over LSG, and bolstered by the return of India wicketkeeper-batter K L Rahul, Delhi Capitals will look to build on the momentum when they take on formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Punjab Kings will look to renew their bid for a play-off berth with another commanding performance in Jaipur on Sunday against Rajasthan Royals, who have failed to rise above mediocrity despite possessing the resources this season.
'Make it a habit that this is how it's going to be under my captaincy.'
Rohit Sharma, India's captain, acknowledged the dry pitch and the team's readiness for the challenge.
A seemingly invincible India will be eager to sharpen their game against spin and give a run to second-line players ahead of the semi-final when they take on New Zealand in their last group match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday.
Images from the IPL 2025 match between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Kuldeep claimed a remarkable five-wicket haul in the ODI against Pakistan and followed it up with another four-wicket haul.
'Just backed my execution, running with a clear plan. Sometimes it comes off, a bit of luck goes a long way.'
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 68.
Raina also laid emphasis on how Kuldeep Yadav could be a lynchpin in India's success.
The spin maestros delivered a masterful performance to dismantle the opposition's batting lineup.
Delhi Capitals have never won the IPL despite featuring top talent over the years. Under Axar Patel's leadership, they will hope IPL 2025 finally ends their title drought.
Kuldeep Yadav becomes fastest Indian spinner to reach 150 ODI wickets
Shaken by the abrupt suspension of their previous match due to the India-Pakistan conflict, a struggling Delhi Capitals will look to regroup and address bowling concerns when they face table-toppers Gujarat Titans in a reverse-leg IPL clash in Delhi on Sunday to keep their play-off hopes alive.
Struggling CSK look to turn around fortunes against PBKS
Even shadow Purple Cup winner Prasidh couldn't escape Vaibhav's onslaught on Monday night!
Former India left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi is the frontrunner to become the spin bowling coach at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence.
Shubman Gill hailed India's spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja for doing an 'exceptional' job on pitches that have not favoured them in the World Cup.
Kuldeep Yadav offered valuable insights into his evolving bowling technique following his recovery from a knee injury sustained during the 2021 IPL, which sidelined him for several months.
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