The IPL 2025 Match 29 between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) is one of the most exciting clashes of the season. With big names on both sides, fans can expect thrilling face-offs. Let’s take a look at four key player battles that could shape the match. Top 4 Key Player Battles to Watch in DC vs MI Sno Players 1 Mitchell Starc vs Rohit Sharma 2 Kuldeep Yadav vs Tilak Varma 3 Faf du Plessis vs Trent Boult 4 KL Rahul vs Jasprit Bumrah Mitchell Starc vs Rohit Sharma Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2014 7 4 0 1 1 0 175.0 - 2024 12 7 0 3 1 1 171.4 - Total 19 11 0 4 2 1 172.7 - Mitchell Starc, known for his fiery pace and swing, will be up against MI’s veteran opener Rohit Sharma. In the years that have gone by, this contest has been very intriguing, although they have not clashed a lot of times. In their total IPL encounters, Rohit has made 19 runs from 11 balls against Starc without being dismissed even once. He has dispatched 2 fours and 1 six in these brief encounters, with a strike rate of more than 172. Although the sample size is limited, Rohit has played Starc's pace to perfection. However, with Starc bowling with great rhythm this season for DC, fans will be watching closely to see if he can finally dismiss Rohit and tilt the game in DC’s favor. Also Read | PSL: Multan Sultans to donate for every six and wicket in support of Palestine Kuldeep Yadav vs Tilak Varma Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2022 4 4 0 0 0 0 100.0 - 2023 16 8 0 2 0 2 200.0 - 2024 24 9 0 1 2 2 266.7 - Total 44 21 0 3 2 4 209.5 - This battle between DC’s star spinner Kuldeep Yadav and MI’s young gun Tilak Varma is slowly becoming one of the most exciting matchups. Kuldeep has faced Tilak in three seasons 2022, 2023, and 2024 but interestingly enough, he has never got him out. Tilak has hammered 44 runs from only 21 balls against Kuldeep with 2 fours and 4 sixes. His strike rate is a searing 209.5, reflecting how brutally he has attacked him in this contest. Kuldeep, who excels with his control and variety, will be looking to break through for good and remove Tilak, particularly in the middle overs where these two tend to play. If Tilak carries on like this, MI will get a massive advantage, but if Kuldeep removes his man, it would be a game-changer for DC. Faf du Plessis vs Trent Boult Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2015 6 3 0 0 1 0 200.0 - 2018 5 5 0 3 1 0 100.0 - 2019 10 17 1 10 1 0 58.8 10.0 2020 13 11 1 7 3 0 118.2 13.0 2021 3 7 1 4 0 0 42.9 3.0 2022 39 28 0 12 7 0 139.3 - 2023 12 9 0 3 2 0 133.3 - 2024 21 18 1 10 1 2 116.7 21.0 Total 109 98 4 49 16 2 111.2 27.2 DC’s experienced opener Faf du Plessis will face MI’s new-ball specialist Trent Boult in a match-up that has seen many twists over the years. They have faced each other across multiple seasons, with Faf scoring 109 runs from 98 balls overall. But Boult has managed to dismiss him 4 times. Faf has scored 16 fours and 2 sixes in this fight, but his strike rate is 111.2, which indicates he hasn't always been in command. In reality, there have been some hard times for him such as in 2019 and 2021 when he got out cheaply against Boult's swing. But in 2022 and 2023, Faf began to play more freely. This season, Boult will once again look to test Faf early with the new ball, and this contest could decide how well DC start their innings. Also Read | 'He is destroying his own legacy': Ex-CSK player on Dhoni's batting at No.9 KL Rahul vs Jasprit Bumrah Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2014 7 5 0 2 1 0 140.0 - 2016 18 12 0 4 1 1 150.0 - 2018 15 15 1 6 0 1 100.0 15.0 2019 42 29 0 12 6 1 144.8 - 2020 11 9 1 3 1 0 122.2 11.0 2021 18 14 0 6 1 1 128.6 - 2022 32 28 0 10 3 0 114.3 - 2024 3 5 0 3 0 0 60.0 - Total 146 117 2 46 13 4 124.8 73.0 KL Rahul, now playing in the middle order for DC, will have to deal with MI’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who is known for his deadly yorkers and sharp bouncers. Their encounter is as old as 2014 and has experienced some excellent moments. KL has made a total of 146 runs off 117 balls against Bumrah, and got out twice. His strike rate in this rivalry is 124.8 with 13 fours and 4 sixes. Bumrah has succeeded in silencing him in some seasons, such as in 2024 where KL scored only 3 runs off 5 balls. But on other occasions, such as 2019, KL was in a position to score at ease with 42 runs from 29 balls. Now that KL is batting at the middle overs, this war might not occur during the powerplay but might become decisive during the death overs or when DC needs to rebuild. If Bumrah can remove the batsman early, then it might subject DC's middle order to monstrous pressure. These four one-on-one battles will be crucial to observe when DC faces MI. With both sides desperate to score points and players in peak condition, any of these small wars could dictate the fortunes of the game.