DC vs LSG, IPL 2025: KL Rahul to not play today against Lucknow? Why his participation was under cloud?

The uncertainty surrounding KL Rahul's availability for Delhi Capitals against Lucknow Super Giants in Visakhapatnam continues despite his presence with the team.

KL Rahul, who swapped sides in IPL 2025, has been tipped to not play the opener against his old team on Monday (March 24).

Why is KL Rahul poised to be absent vs LSG today?

As per a report from ESPNCricinfo, Rahul remains ambiguous about participation and even Capitals' captain Axar Patel has no idea about his availability. DC's new captain, Axar Patel, confirmed that Rahul's participation remains in doubt due to 'personal reasons'.

"Obviously, he joined the team," Axar said about Rahul's status. "We don't know yet [if he'll play]. Right now we don't know if he is available or not."

KL Rahul is missing LSG clash due to Birth of his Child

KL Rahul has gone back to Mumbai as his wife Athiya Shetty is about to give birth to their first child. The Delhi Capitals player is expected to become a father soon and that is the reason behind his absence.

Cricbuzz reported that a family friend confirmed Rahul's arrival in Mumbai and also asserted that he would be available for the next match.

KL Rahul had an unceremonious exit from LSG amid controversies. The player was publicly reprimanded by their owner Sanjeev Goenka after a defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad last season. It was certain that both parties wanted to move on, but a provisional reconciliation stunt was performed by LSG where KL Rahul and Goenka gave a joint press interview in Kolkata last year. But Rahul's name was not there in the LSG retention list, which was not a surprise at all. Rahul found new home at Delhi Capitals who paid Rs 14 crore for him at the mega auction.

Axar Patel has taken over DC's captaincy from Rishabh Pant, who was bought by LSG. As he embarks on his new leadership journey, Axar emphasized the need for adaptability, given the high-scoring trends witnessed in the IPL since last season.

"Nowadays cricket has changed a lot. Mostly IPL is more about batsmen's game, fours and sixes. So we have to evolve as a team. At the end of the day, I don't want to complicate things. As captain, I told the group that cricket is a game, keep it simple," the DC captain added.