📍 Venue: Chepauk Stadium, Chennai
🗓 Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025
⏰ Time: Day match – only one scheduled in Chennai this season
🔥 Match Preview:
Delhi Capitals (DC) come in with confidence soaring—two wins from two games, a balanced squad, and players firing on all cylinders. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in contrast, are still finding their rhythm. With Ruturaj Gaikwad under an injury cloud and questions hanging over their top order, CSK could be forced to make a tactical shuffle, possibly bringing in Devon Conway.
Current Form:
- Delhi Capitals: ✅✅ (2 wins in 2 matches)
- Chennai Super Kings: ❌❌✅ (2 losses, 1 win)
Key Talking Points:
- Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury: Could MS Dhoni return as captain?
- Pitch at Chepauk: Not aiding CSK’s spinners as expected—Stephen Fleming has openly voiced concerns.
- Devon Conway’s inclusion? Experience vs experimentation at the top.
- DC’s golden run: Faf du Plessis leading from the front, Starc breathing fire, and youngsters like Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam making an instant impact.
- Will the 15-year jinx break? DC haven’t beaten CSK at Chepauk since 2010.
Also Read: Mayank Yadav Making Strong Comeback, Bowling At 90-95%, Says LSG Coach Justin Langer
Probable Playing XIs:
Chennai Super Kings (If Gaikwad Unfit):
- Devon Conway
- Rahul Tripathi
- Rachin Ravindra
- Shivam Dube
- Vijay Shankar
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Anshul Kamboj / Jamie Overton
- MS Dhoni (wk) (c if Ruturaj is out)
- R Ashwin
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Noor Ahmad
- Matheesha Pathirana
Delhi Capitals:
- Faf du Plessis
- Jake Fraser-McGurk
- Abhishek Porel (wk)
- KL Rahul
- Axar Patel (capt)
- Tristan Stubbs
- Ashutosh Sharma
- Vipraj Nigam
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mitchell Starc
- Mukesh Kumar / T Natarajan
Players to Watch:
- Faf du Plessis: CSK legend returns to haunt them in DC colors—powerplay dominator and evergreen leader.
- Kuldeep Yadav: In red-hot form. Can he outfox Dhoni & Co. on a slow Chepauk surface?
- Khaleel Ahmed: Swinging it like Chahar used to—needs to keep Fraser-McGurk in check.
- Rahul Tripathi: Under pressure, but CSK coaching staff believes a breakout innings is near.
- Mitchell Starc: 8 wickets in 2 matches. Can CSK’s shaky top order survive his early burst?
Chepauk Surface & Conditions:
- Expect hot and humid conditions in the afternoon
- Pitch has been unpredictable—hasn’t offered expected turn, leading to CSK’s strategic dilemmas
- CSK have the worst economy (10.22) and lowest run rate (7.27) in the powerplay so far this season
Stat Attack:
- Gaikwad needs 10 runs to complete 5000 T20 runs. Will be joint-fastest Indian with KL Rahul if he gets there in his 143rd innings
- Matheesha Pathirana vs Tristan Stubbs: 4 dismissals for 19 runs in 22 balls in T20s
- Old Guard Watch: Dhoni (43), du Plessis (40), Ashwin (38) – Three of IPL 2025’s oldest stars in action
- Jake Fraser-McGurk vs left-arm pace: 72 runs off 35 balls at a SR of 205+, but has fallen 3 times
Quote Corner:
🗣️ “The vibe is perfect… when you win, you celebrate—that’s the most important thing.”
— Kuldeep Yadav on DC’s upbeat camp
🗣️ “He’s training well, and we feel like a big score is just around the corner.”
— Michael Hussey on Rahul Tripathi’s form
📣 Final Word:
DC look poised and in form, while CSK are still searching for answers—especially with their leader possibly sidelined. The hosts will hope for Dhoni magic and some Chepauk mojo to bounce back. But with DC’s balance and momentum, the 15-year jinx might finally be broken.
Prediction: If CSK’s batting doesn’t click early, expect DC to cruise to a hat-trick of wins.
Toss Advantage: Batting first may help on a slowing Chepauk deck.
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