DC vs SRH: Kick-Off Nepal Time, Match Preview & Prediction

Arun Jaitley Stadium showdown could decide Delhi’s playoff fate as Hyderabad fight for pride.

📅 Match Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
⏰ Kick-Off Nepal Time: 7:45 PM (NST)
🏟️ Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

🔥 What’s at Stake?
Delhi Capitals are walking a tightrope in IPL 2025. After back-to-back home defeats, they’re fifth with 12 points from 10 games and need to bounce back fast to stay in the playoff race. Captain Axar Patel’s bruised hand is a concern, but his all-round abilities — especially with the ball — could be vital on a high-scoring Delhi pitch.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, are practically out of playoff contention. Despite boasting stars like Travis Head, Pat Cummins, and Heinrich Klaasen, the Orange Army have failed to click. Their 38-run loss to Gujarat Titans last week summed up a frustrating season.

📊 Form Guide
Delhi Capitals: L-L-W-W-L
Sunrisers Hyderabad: L-L-W-L-L

🧠 Head-to-Head
Matches Played: 25
SRH Wins: 13
DC Wins: 12
Recent meeting: SRH edged past DC by 2 wickets earlier in the season.

🏟️ Pitch Report
The Arun Jaitley Stadium pitch is tailor-made for a run-fest. Dry, hard, and offering almost no grass, it’s expected to yield a par score around 220–230. With boundary dimensions favoring aggressive strokeplay (shortest side: 63m), expect batters to dominate. Seamers with clever variations could still make an impact, especially with the new ball.

🌤️ Weather Report
Clear skies and dry heat will greet players in Delhi. The temperature will hover around 30–33°C during the match with no chance of rain and manageable humidity (35–40%). Ideal conditions for high-octane cricket under lights.

🧪 Players to Watch
Axar Patel (DC) – Battling through injury, Axar has shown grit and class. His bowling could be crucial against a shaky SRH middle order.
Mitchell Starc (DC) – Coming into form at the right time, the Aussie quick has been pivotal in the powerplay.
Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) – One of the few SRH players consistently scoring runs. If SRH are to challenge, he must fire.
Pat Cummins (SRH) – Needs to lead from the front both with the ball and as captain in this pressure fixture.

📋 Predicted Playing XIs

🟡 Sunrisers Hyderabad XI:
Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aniket Verma, Kamindu Mendis, Pat Cummins (c), Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari, Mohammed Shami
Impact Player: Travis Head

🔵 Delhi Capitals XI:
Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel (wk), Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Dushmantha Chameera, Mukesh Kumar
Impact Player: Sameer Rizvi

🎯 Match Prediction
Delhi, with more on the line and a stronger bowling lineup, are likely to bounce back at home. Expect SRH to put up a fight, but unless their top order delivers, it might not be enough.

🔮 Kirib Prediction: DC to win by 20+ runs
Expect Starc and Kuldeep to play key roles as Delhi keep their playoff dream alive.

📺 Where to Watch in Nepal
TV: Star Sports Network
Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar