KL Rahul, Delhi Capitals' latest signing, will miss their season opener on Monday due to personal reasons. The Indian batter, expecting his first child, has been granted special permission by the franchise to skip the match against his former team, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

He rushed home to Mumbai on Sunday night after learning that his wife, Athiya Shetty, could give birth at any moment. However, he is likely to return for Delhi Capitals‘ second match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 30.

“He has returned home to be with his wife, as the baby is expected any time. However, he is certain to be available for the team’s next game,” said a family friend of Rahul.

KL Rahul has been in top form lately and was a key player in India's Champions Trophy victory in Dubai. However, he hasn't been part of India's T20I squad and mentioned during the tournament that his goal is to regain his spot in the lineup.

Before joining Delhi Capitals’ camp in Visakhapatnam, he trained in Mumbai under India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar to prepare for the IPL season. Delhi Capitals acquired him for INR 12 crore in the mega auction after he parted ways with LSG, the team he captained for the last three seasons.

Delhi Capitals’ Full Schedule for IPL 2025

Delhi Capitals (DC) will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on March 24 at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Below is DC’s full schedule for the 2025 season: