![Players who can open alongside KL Rahul [Source: @iplt20.com]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1742020714381_playerswhocanbatalongsideKL.jpg?type=mq)
Players who can open alongside KL Rahul [Source: @iplt20.com]
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to commence on March 22 and the buzz has started for the mega event which will have more than 70 matches as ten teams will battle it out to be crowned the new IPL champions. With just a week left for the tournament to begin, the team from Delhi (Delhi Capitals) are in the limelight and for all the good reasons.
They recently announced their new captain in Axar Patel and now with the captaincy sorted, the franchise only has one issue left to ponder upon- who will open alongside KL Rahul?.
The Indian star is likely to open for the Delhi Capitals and here are 3 players who can open alongside KL Rahul for the upcoming season.
1) Jake Fraser-McGurk
| Criterion | Data |
|---|---|
| Matches | 9 |
| Runs | 330 |
| Strike-rate | 234 |
| 50s/100s | 4/0 |
(Fraser-McGurk IPL stats in 2024)
The breakout star for the Delhi Capitals in the 2024 season, Australian star, Jake Fraser-McGurk has been going through a rough patch as of late and is under-confident at the moment. However, getting an opening slot on a relatively good wicket at the Arun Jaitley Stadium will do wonders for the wonderkid.
Last season, he was simply outstanding as an opener, smashing 330 runs in 9 matches at an astonishing strike-rate of 234. This is his best position and the batter should be allowed to play at his usual slot to and do the damage.
2) Faf du Plessis
| Criterion | Data |
|---|---|
| Matches | 15 |
| Runs | 438 |
| Strike-rate | 161.62 |
| 50s/100s | 4/0 |
(du Plessis IPL 2024 stats)
The former captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Faf du Plessis had three outstanding years with the Red Army, and when RCB released him ahead of the mega auction, DC pounced on him.
Faf as an opener did extremely well for CSK and for RCB and there is no doubt that he can do the same role to perfection for the Capitals as well. The South African is known for maximising the power-play with his aggressive batting and the opening position suits the way he bats.
KL Rahul generally takes time to get going, and Faf can be the one to release the pressure with his shots, just the way he did with Virat Kohli during the RCB days.
3) Abishek Porel
| Criterion | Data |
|---|---|
| Matches | 14 |
| Runs | 327 |
| Strike-rate | 159.51 |
| 50s/100s | 2/0 |
(Porel IPL 2024 stats)
The rising star of the Delhi Capitals, the franchise showed a lot of trust in him by promoting him as opener in few matches last season. He repaid the faith with stellar performances, but with JFM and Faf du Plessis in the side, he is still the third choice opener.
DC are generally known to be a flexible unit and in case they need a left-handed batter to open alongside a right-handed KL Rahul, then Porel is the choice. A left-right combination could do wonders for the franchise and it decreases the chance of being a predictable side.
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