IPL 2025: This Is Why Faf du Plessis Not Playing Big CSK vs DC Clash

April 5, 2025: Faf du Plessis, one of the most experienced players for Delhi Capitals (DC), will not be playing in today’s IPL 2025 encounter against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 5 (Saturday).

DC’s captain, Axar Patel, confirmed at the toss that du Plessis is unfit for selection for this match. In his place, young Indian player Sameer Rizvi, who was previously a part of the CSK setup, has been included in the playing XI.

Axar Patel, after winning the toss, chose to bat first and explained the decision, stating that the wicket could favor the bowlers initially, with the conditions expected to slow down in the second innings. He also reflected on the team dynamics, mentioning how positive the dressing room atmosphere was despite the team’s previous struggles. Patel pointed out that while the team had performed better in their last game, fielding remains an area for improvement.

“Faf is not fit for this game, so Sameer Rizvi is playing,” Patel confirmed. “We were looking to bat first as well, and we hope to capitalize on the good wicket and weather conditions,” he added.

On the other hand, CSK’s captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, spoke about his team’s strategy and made a few changes to the lineup. “Conway comes in for Jamie Overton, and Mukesh Choudhary comes in from Tripathi,” he said at the toss.

Here are the playing XIs for both teams:

Chennai Super Kings:

• Rachin Ravindra
• Devon Conway
• Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
• Vijay Shankar
• Ravindra Jadeja
• MS Dhoni (w)
• Ravichandran Ashwin
• Noor Ahmad
• Mukesh Choudhary
• Khaleel Ahmed
• Matheesha Pathirana

Delhi Capitals:

• Jake Fraser-McGurk
• KL Rahul (w)
• Abishek Porel
• Tristan Stubbs
• Sameer Rizvi
• Axar Patel (c)
• Ashutosh Sharma
• Vipraj Nigam
• Mitchell Starc
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Mohit Sharma

The match is expected to be an exciting contest, with both teams looking to make improvements after their respective performances in previous games.