The clash between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025 is expected to be a thrilling one. With both teams fighting for crucial points in the cash rich tournament, individual matchups could play a big role in deciding the outcome. Let’s take a look at four key player battles to watch out for in this exciting game. Top 4 Key Player Battles to Watch in DC vs KKR Sno Players 1 KL Rahul vs Sunil Narine 2 KL Rahul vs Varun Chakravarthy 3 Axar Patel vs Ajinkya Rahane 4 Tristan Stubbs vs Varun Chakravarthy KL Rahul vs Sunil Narine Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2014 5 4 0 2 1 0 125.0 - 2016 21 9 0 2 3 1 233.3 - 2018 44 19 2 6 2 5 231.6 22.0 2020 12 12 0 3 0 0 100.0 - 2021 15 15 0 4 1 0 100.0 - 2022 8 11 0 4 0 0 72.7 - 2024 9 15 0 7 0 0 60.0 - Total 114 85 2 28 7 6 134.1 57.0 KL Rahul will be playing in the middle order for DC this season, and his battle with KKR’s experienced spinner Sunil Narine could be crucial. Over the years, Rahul has scored 114 runs off 85 balls against Narine and has been dismissed only twice. He’s hit 7 fours and 6 sixes in this head-to-head. His highest scoring year against Narine came in 2018, when he smashed 44 runs off just 19 balls, including 2 boundaries and 5 big sixes. However, in recent seasons, Narine has managed to slow him down. In the last few encounters, Rahul has struggled to rotate strike, especially in 2022 and 2024, where his strike rate dropped below 75. If Narine keeps the pressure on, it could slow down Delhi’s innings during the middle overs. Also Read | Rohit Sharma reacts to Vaibhav Suryavanshi's 101 vs GT KL Rahul vs Varun Chakravarthy Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2020 18 19 1 6 1 0 94.7 18.0 2021 13 11 0 1 1 0 118.2 - 2022 12 14 0 7 1 0 85.7 - 2024 2 2 0 0 0 0 100.0 - Total 45 46 1 14 3 0 97.8 45.0 KL Rahul’s challenge doesn’t stop with Narine. He also has to face Varun Chakravarthy, KKR’s mystery spinner. This matchup has been very competitive. Rahul has scored 45 runs off 46 balls against Varun and has been dismissed once. Though his strike rate is just under 98, he has not looked comfortable playing Chakravarthy’s variations. Out of the 46 balls faced, Rahul has played 14 dot balls, and has not hit a single six in this matchup. In 2022, Varun bowled tight lines and gave away only 12 runs in 14 balls to Rahul. This battle will be interesting to watch, especially if Rahul tries to break the shackles this time around. Axar Patel vs Ajinkya Rahane Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2014 7 7 0 3 1 0 100.0 - 2015 14 15 0 4 0 0 93.3 - 2017 10 8 0 1 1 0 125.0 - 2018 3 5 1 2 0 0 60.0 3.0 2019 31 14 0 2 4 1 221.4 - 2023 15 12 0 3 2 0 125.0 - 2024 4 5 0 1 0 0 80.0 - Total 84 66 1 16 8 1 127.3 84.0 Ajinkya Rahane, who plays at number three for KKR, will be up against DC’s spin all-rounder Axar Patel. This is one of the most underrated battles to watch. Axar has bowled to Rahane a lot in the past, and Rahane has scored 84 runs in 66 balls against him while getting out just once. The only time Axar dismissed Rahane was way back in 2018. Since then, Rahane has found it easier to score runs off him. His best performance came in 2019, where he struck 31 runs in just 14 balls with four fours and a six. If Axar doesn’t get his line and length right, Rahane could punish him again, especially during the powerplay and early middle overs. Also READ: BCB slaps Towhid Hridoy with four-match suspension after heated umpire clash Tristan Stubbs vs Varun Chakravarthy Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2024 27 17 2 6 2 2 158.8 13.5 Total 27 17 2 6 2 2 158.8 13.5 Another important battle in this game will be between young South African batter Tristan Stubbs and spinner Varun Chakravarthy. These two have only faced off once before, but it was a memorable clash. Stubbs scored 27 runs in just 17 balls, including two fours and two sixes, but Varun managed to dismiss him twice in that game. This shows both players had their moments. While Stubbs looked aggressive, Varun’s smart bowling got the better of him. This will be a fresh matchup again and could be key if Stubbs walks in during the middle overs when Varun is operating.