KL Rahul, the star wicketkeeper-batter from India, is going to miss the first two matches of the IPL for the Delhi Capitals because he and his wife, actress Athiya Shetty, are expecting their first child, and the baby’s arrival is due next month. Rahul, who has played an important role in India’s ODI and Test teams, shared the news about the pregnancy back in November, right before the team embarked on their tour to Australia.
Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women’s cricket team and wife of Mitchell Starc, mentioned this week that Rahul likely won’t be joining the Capitals for those first two games. She said, No Harry Brook, so it’ll be interesting to see who they bring in as a replacement. They have KL Rahul, who probably won’t play the first couple of games as they’re waiting for their child, but that dynamic is cool. Healy went on to praise Rahul’s talent, emphasizing that he can really hold together the innings in T20 cricket, and she’s excited to see him back on the field.
In the recent IPL 2025 auction, KL Rahul was picked up by the Delhi Capitals for a hefty sum of Rs 12 crore after being released by the Lucknow Super Giants. Rishabh Pant, who has a strong history with the Capitals, moved to Lucknow for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore. The Capitals are set to kick off their IPL season against another team on March 24, but it seems unlikely that Rahul will make it to the match being held in Vishakhapatnam.
There has been quite a bit of chatter about who would lead Delhi this season after Rahul joined the team, as many thought he might take over from Rishabh Pant. The management ultimately decided on Axar Patel for the captaincy, given his experience leading the Gujarat team in domestic tournaments. Faf du Plessis has been named as the vice-captain and he comes in after his tenure with the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
If all goes well, it’s possible that Rahul could be back in the lineup for a key match against the Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, April 5, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Fans will surely be keeping an eye on that, waiting to see how the team adjusts without him in the early games.
