Why Axar Patel is not playing in today’s MI vs DC IPL 2025 match? Here’s the reason

The Delhi Capitals faced a significant setback ahead of their IPL 2025 match against the Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, as captain Axar Patel has been ruled out due to illness. In his absence, South African batsman Faf du Plessis will assume the role of stand-in captain for the match.

“Axar has been really sick the last two days. Axar is two players and it’s difficult to replace him. We’ll see how it goes,” said du Plessis after winning the toss.

Delhi has opted to bowl first in today's match. Madhav Tiwari, who made his debut against the Punjab Kings, has been brought into the playing XI to replace Axar Patel. Notably, the previous match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings was abandoned due to cross-border tensions, which means Madhav will officially make his debut against Mumbai.

This match is crucial for Delhi, as it is a do-or-die situation. A loss would eliminate them from playoff contention, necessitating victories in both of their remaining matches to advance to the next round. In contrast, Mumbai can secure a playoff spot with a win over Delhi, allowing them to approach the game with a sense of ease, particularly as they are playing at home.

Additionally, KL Rahul has been included in the Impact Player list. Although he was anticipated to play a significant role in decision-making in Axar's absence, he has not been named in the playing XI. T. Natarajan has also been omitted, with Mukesh Kumar taking his place.

On the other side, Mumbai has made one adjustment to their lineup, with Mitchell Santner replacing Corbin Bosch.

Playing XIs

Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Faf du Plessis (c), Abishek Porel (wk), Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Kuldeep Yadav, Dushmantha Chameera, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Kumar

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

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