"I would say you can drop Faf du Plessis and play Atal" - Aakash Chopra on DC ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs PBKS

Former India player Aakash Chopra has urged the Delhi Capitals (DC) to play Sediqullah Atal at Faf du Plessis' expense in their IPL 2025 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He expressed hope that Axar Patel would be fit and available to take back the captaincy duties to allow such a move.

DC will lock horns with PBKS in Match 66 of IPL 2025 in Jaipur on Saturday, May 24. Du Plessis captained the Delhi-based franchise in their previous game against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Mumbai on May 21 as Axar was ruled out due to an illness.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener opined that Du Plessis should make way for Atal if Axar is available to lead DC in their IPL 2025 clash against PBKS.

"Delhi have nothing to lose now. The question will be whether Axar Patel is available. He wasn't available in the last match, and he was missed a lot. Three spinners should play at this ground in any case. If you get a chance, play three spinners immediately," Chopra said (9:15).

"I would say you can drop Faf du Plessis and play Atal. They probably couldn't play Atal in the last match, as who would have been the captain then? Faf is the vice-captain, and he wasn't scoring runs, so you could have probably left him out, but you didn't have a choice in that aspect," he added.

Faf du Plessis has aggregated 179 runs at a below-par strike rate of 120.94 in eight innings in IPL 2025. The Delhi Capitals had acquired Sediqullah Atal as a replacement for Harry Brook, but the Afghanistan opener hasn't yet played a game this season.

---

"If he doesn't play, their situation will go from bad to worse" - Aakash Chopra on KL Rahul ahead of DC's IPL 2025 clash vs PBKS

KL Rahul (504) is DC's highest run-getter in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the Delhi Capitals will be badly hit if KL Rahul, who played as the impact player against MI due to an injury, opts out of Saturday's game, considering it's inconsequential for the franchise.

"Rahul will play his fourth match as an opener. So that is good news. However, he came as the impact player in the last match. That is not the ideal thing. He is injured, there is nothing left as they are out of the tournament, and if he doesn't play, their situation will go from bad to worse," he said (12:20).

While observing that DC could bring back T Natarajan at Mukesh Kumar's expense, the cricketer-turned-commentator urged them to use six bowlers.

"You can leave Mukesh Kumar out and play T Natarajan, and try to use six bowlers because you made a mistake in the last match. You had a chance to get two overs from Tristan Stubbs in the middle. Then you might not have needed Mukesh to bowl the 19th over. You played Madhav Tiwari as well there, but you didn't use him either," Chopra reasoned.

The Delhi Capitals suffered a 59-run loss in their previous game against the Mumbai Indians. They allowed MI to set a 181-run target when they had been reduced to 132/5 after 18 overs, with Mukesh Kumar and Dushmantha Chameera conceding 48 runs in the last two overs.