Delhi Capitals team arrive in Visakhapatnam ahead of IPL 2025

After wrapping up their short training camp in New Delhi, the Delhi Capitals squad headed to Visakhapatnam on 17 March 2025, marking the coastal city as their secondary home base for the initial matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.

The team is all set to kick off their campaign on 24 March with a match against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

Among the players who landed in Vizag were former South African captain Faf du Plessis, left-arm pacer T Natarajan, experienced batter Karun Nair, speedster Mukesh Kumar, and promising youngster Ashutosh Sharma. The rest of the Delhi Capitals squad, including key players Kuldeep Yadav and KL Rahul, are expected to join the team in Visakhapatnam on 18 March.

The Delhi Capitals franchise made headlines by announcing Faf du Plessis as the vice-captain for the 2025 IPL season through their social media channels on 17 March. The seasoned South African batsman was acquired by the franchise at his base price of Rs 2 crore during the mega auction held last year in Jeddah, after being released by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Du Plessis’ appointment as vice-captain virtually ensures his place in the playing XI, where he will play a key role in supporting skipper Axar Patel with tactical decisions on and off the field. Known for his leadership credentials, having previously captained South Africa and led RCB from 2022 to 2024, du Plessis’ presence is expected to significantly boost the team’s strategic planning.

Axar Patel and du Plessis will collaborate closely with the Delhi Capitals’ revamped coaching lineup, which now features Hemang Badani as head coach, Venugopal Rao as director of cricket, Munaf Patel as bowling coach, Matthew Mott as assistant coach, and Kevin Pietersen as mentor. Gnaneswara Rao and Anton Roux will oversee fielding duties as specialist coaches.

Delhi Capitals, one of the three franchises yet to claim an IPL trophy along with Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will be eager to make their mark this season. With a fresh leadership structure and talented roster, all eyes will be on their opening clash against the Lucknow Super Giants in Visakhapatnam on March 24.