Wed May 21 15:00:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided information:

**News Article:**

**Delhi Capitals Stunned as Axar Patel Misses Crucial IPL Clash Against Mumbai Indians**

**Mumbai, India -** The Delhi Capitals (DC) suffered a major blow ahead of their crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Wednesday, with regular captain and key all-rounder Axar Patel ruled out due to illness. In this rescheduled game, which was originally supposed to be on May 15, the Pahalgam terror attack that led to the week-long suspension of the league led to a week-long suspension of the league.

The absence of Patel, a valuable left-arm spinner and dependable middle-order batsman, leaves a significant void in the DC lineup. Faf du Plessis stepped in to captain the side in his absence.

“Axar is really sick in the last two days. We’ll miss him today. Axar is two players and it’s difficult to replace him,” said du Plessis at the toss. He also acknowledged the importance of the game, stating, “Playing a good team today, we are up for it. We haven’t been at our best in the last 5-6 games. Everyday there’s a new opportunity.”

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, who won the toss and elected to bowl, admitted he would have done the same. He stressed the importance of playing their best cricket to secure a spot in the knockout stage and hoped that the short break has allowed them to reset their game plan. “The break has given them a chance to regroup and continue with their momentum,” Pandya noted. “We have not had a complete match and would like to tick a few boxes before the playoffs.”

Both teams desperately need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, with each having just one more game remaining against the Punjab Kings after this encounter.

**Teams:**

* **Mumbai Indians:** Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah. Impact substitutes: Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Karn Sharma, Raj Bawa, Satyanarayana Raju
* **Delhi Capitals:** Faf du Plessis (capt), Abishek Porel (wk), Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Tristan Stubbs, Dushmantha Chameera, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Kumar. Impact substitutes: KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Sediqullah Atal, Tripurana Vijay, Manvanth Kumar
**Summary:**

The Delhi Capitals face Mumbai Indians in a crucial IPL 2025 match without their regular captain, Axar Patel, who is sick. Faf du Plessis captains DC in his place. Both teams need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The match, originally scheduled for May 15, was delayed due to a suspension of the league because of the Pahalgam terror attack.

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