Shubman Gill and Axar Patel (Pic credit: IPL) NEW DELHI: There seems to be a spring in every move Delhi Capitals make this season. Yes, it may only be two games so far, but with two comprehensive wins, the Capitals look like they’ve finally turned their potential into performance and look capable of being a team that can go further. The Axar Patel-led side will be eager to build on their impressive start and complete a hat-trick of victories when they take on winless Gujarat Titans on their home turf here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday evening.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!The good news for Titans is that their regular skipper Shubman Gill is fit and ready to play after missing the last game against Rajasthan Royals due to muscle spasms. While ‘Impact Player’ Sameer Rizvi grabbed the headlines with two scintillating half-centuries, it was the performance of the bowlers that set up the Twins for the Capitals. Their bowling unit looks well-rounded, with the speed triumvirate of Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan making up for the absence of Australian quick Mitchell Starc. Mukesh seems to have learned quickly from his bowling partner Ngidi and adopted similarly clever deceptions of pace and length, helping him guide Mumbai Indians back to their previous draw and return with impressive figures of 2/26.“If you can get two or three wickets in the Powerplay in about 40 runs, it will be difficult to score more than 200 unless you bowl badly at the death. We have done that so far. Lungi Ngidi’s presence has also helped. He has variation and a good slower ball. He is also passing on the experience of playing in Indian conditions during the World Cup to the Capital coach who has been providing good pace of late. Munaf Patel. Skipper Axar was not afraid to engage or use all-rounder Vipraj Nigam in the Powerplay. Bowler Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm dexterity helped the Capitals keep the pressure on the opposition even in the middle overs. The only tinge of concern for the Capitals would be the cheap returns of their best batsmen KL Rahul and Nitish Rana in the first two matches. Rahul with 0 and 1 and Rana with 15 and 0 will be keen to repay the faith shown in them by the team management who have offered them their favorite batting slots.The Titans will be fresh from their defeat against Rajasthan Royals in the previous encounter when they choked during the run. Their bowling attack consisting of Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Prasidh Krishna and veteran spinner Rashid Khan looks formidable on paper but has been guilty of leaking runs.For the Titans to break out of their slump, it is imperative that the bat clicks in unison. Hopefully Gill will be there and lead them from the front.GAME NUMBER
- 205 – The unbroken first wicket partnership between Sai Sudharsan (108*) and Shubman Gill (93*) for Gujarat Titans vs DC at Delhi on 18 May 2025 is the highest by any pair for any wicket in a successful run chase in the IPL.
- 112 – KL Rahul’s unbeaten knock off 65 balls in Delhi on 18 May 2025 is the highest since the Delhi Test against Gujarat Titans.
- 2 – Both defeats suffered by Delhi Capitals against Gujarat Titans last year came while defending scores of 200 or more.
—Statistics: Rajesh Kumar
