Delhi Capitals Elect to Bat First Against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk

The much-anticipated match at Chepauk began with Delhi Capitals winning the toss, opting to bat first against Chennai Super Kings. Contrary to the buzz around MS Dhoni’s captaincy for CSK, it was Ruturaj Gaikwad who stepped up for the toss. Despite losing it to DC’s Axar Patel, who made the prevalent choice of batting in the evening’s sticky conditions, the focus shifted. Delhi made a strategic change with Sameer Rizvi stepping in for the unfit Faf du Plessis, leaving their team with only three international players in the starting lineup.

Gaikwad took a hit to his elbow in the previous match, raising concerns about his availability. He observed the pitch seemed dry, suggesting favorable conditions for spinners, hinting at CSK’s home advantage. The team made two significant adjustments, sparking enthusiasm among fans as Devon Conway joined the squad, substituting Jamie Overton, and Mukesh Choudhary replaced Rahul Tripathi. Consequently, R Ashwin finds himself batting at No. 7 with only bowlers following.

As of now, CSK has secured just one victory in IPL 2025 and languishes at ninth on the points table. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals remain undefeated in the current season.

The playing eleven for Chennai Super Kings includes: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (WK), R Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, and Matheesha Pathirana.

Their impact players list comprises Shivam Dube, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed, and Nathan Ellis.

Delhi Capitals’ starting lineup features: KL Rahul, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abhishek Porel (WK), Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, and Mohit Sharma.

Their potential impact players include Mukesh Kumar, Karun Nair, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira, and Tripurana Vijay.