KL Rahul won't be playing in the opening match for Delhi Capitals against Lucknow Super Giants at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. He has returned to Mumbai because his wife, Athiya Shetty, is about to give birth to their first child.

According to Cricbuzz, Rahul made the trip back on Sunday night. The report also mentions that he should be back in time for the next game against SunRisers Hyderabad on Sunday, March 30.

A family friend of KL Rahul shared with Cricbuzz, "He went home to support his wife since the baby could arrive any moment. But he’s definitely expected to be ready for the next match."

Rahul has been in excellent form lately and was a key player in India's Champions Trophy victory.

Ahead of the game against Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel mentioned that there’s still uncertainty about Rahul's availability.

“He joined the team, but we’re not sure if he’ll play. At this point, we don’t know if he’s available,” he said.

Axar Patel calls the toss and chooses to bowl

Delhi Capitals' captain Axar Patel won the toss and chose to bowl first against the Lucknow Super Giants in the fourth match of the 18th season of the lucrative league.

During the toss, Axar mentioned, “We’re opting to bowl first. The dew factor is a consideration, and we want to play it safe. Rishabh and I know each other well, which should make for an exciting match. I’m thrilled to lead this strong squad.”

He added, “It’s going to be a significant challenge for me. I’ve been with DC for quite a while and was part of the leadership group, which gives me a solid foundation. I just need to trust my instincts.”

Rishabh Pant also expressed that he would have chosen to bowl first if he had won the toss, sharing that it feels bittersweet to face off against the Delhi Capitals.

The Delhi Capitals have four overseas players: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs, Mitchell Starc, and Faf du Plessis.

Delhi Capitals Playing XI: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel (w), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar.

Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI: Rishabh Pant, Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Digvesh Singh, Prince Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmad, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi.

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