India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul will play for Delhi Capitals (DC) in their second match of the ongoing IPL season against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Visakhapatnam on March 30, TOI reported.

He had missed DC’s campaign opener against his former franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday (March 24) due to the birth of his first child.

Rahul, who was blessed with a baby girl, had received special permission from the Delhi Capitals management to skip the match.

During the recently held Champions Trophy, Rahul was in great touch and played a key role in India’s title win. However, he hasn’t been in India's T20I scheme of things lately and, during the ICC tournament in Dubai, he expressed his desire to reclaim his place in the T20I set-up.

Before joining the DC camp in Visakhapatnam, Rahul reportedly trained in Mumbai under Abhishek Nayar, India's assistant coach.

The IPL 2025 season marks a fresh start for Rahul in the cash-rich league. He was signed by the Capitals for INR 14 crore at the mega-auction last November, following his release from LSG.

KL Rahul finds himself in unfamiliar territory this time around in the IPL, moving away from his long-standing role as a captain.

Delhi Capitals have entrusted Axar Patel for the leadership role, with Faf du Plessis being named his deputy. Some reports recently claimed that Rahul was approached for captaincy but he declined the offer, choosing instead to focus on his batting.

Rumours are rife that Rahul’s batting order will also change in the 18th edition of the IPL. His exposure as a middle-order batter in the IPL is limited. During the IPL 2016 season, he played a crucial role in the middle order, helping RCB reach the final. He has played 33 matches outside the opening slot, scoring 500 runs at an average of 29.41 and a strike rate of 117.92.

Overall, KL Rahul has 4,683 runs to his name in the IPL from 123 innings at an average of 45.46 and a strike rate of 134.60.

(With TOI Inputs)