High-flying DC next in jittery CSK's path

Just three games into the tournament, Chennai Super Kings are already feeling the heat. If that loss to RCB at home rattled them, losing to Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati continued to expose some chinks in their armour. While there has been so much focus on MS Dhoni, CSK's struggles run a lot deeper. Their stronger suit – the bowling attack – allowed RCB to post almost 200 on a sticky surface. Despite finishing strong with the ball against Royals, the opening 12 overs had seen them concede 129 runs.

With the bat, the problems are even more glaring. CSK's batting lineup already looks heavily reliant on Ruturaj Gaikwad and there are concerns over the skipper's availability for tomorrow. Rachin Ravindra did contribute in the first two games but the likes of Rahul Tripathi and Shivam Dube haven't fired yet.

Amidst all this, they are now up against a side that is flying high after winning both their games so far. They won a thriller in their opening game despite the top order's collective failure but their middle order collectively stepped up. With an attack consisting of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam, a slowish surface might actually play into DC's hands.

When: April 5, 3:30 PM IST

Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

What to expect: The pitches have been on the slower side so far in Chennai but RCB's new ball bowlers extracted bounce and movement as well. However, with this being an afternoon game, spin is expected to dominate proceedings.

Injuries/Unavailability: There is uncertainty surrounding Ruturaj Gaikwad. The home side will take a late call on their skipper's availability. On the eve of the game, Gaikwad received only throwdowns for a brief period and didn't face the bowlers in the nets.

Probable XI: Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Shivam Dube, Sam Curran, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (WK), Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed

T Natarajan is inching closer to making his first appearance in IPL 2025, according to teammate Kuldeep Yadav. However, the wrist spinner noted that he is unlikely to feature tomorrow.

How DC fare against Noor will be interesting to watch. The Afghanistan spinner has dismissed Faf du Plessis thrice in just ten deliveries. The conditions and the opposition might bring skipper Axar Patel more into play tomorrow to thwart CSK's spin trio.

Probable XI: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (WK), Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar

– CSK have won each of their last seven matches against Delhi Capitals at Chepauk.

– This is only the fifth time Delhi Capitals have managed to win their first two games of the season

– CSK scoring at 7.44 in the PowerPlay across their first three games is the lowest among all teams in IPL 2025 and well below the overall average this season – 9.58.

"He is bowling really well, and I know him personally, and he is someone who tries to learn from everyone. We had a chat last night as well. Obviously, he has a lovely wrong'un and with that kind of a pace, it's very difficult for a batter to pick, and especially when you play in Chennai, it's always very difficult to score against any wristspinner." – Kuldeep Yadav on Noor Ahmad

"I don't think we've actually thought about that too much. Well, I haven't thought about it too much. I'm sure Fleming and Rutu have thought about that. But we've got some young guy coming through. He's behind the stumps. Maybe he can do a good job. I'm not sure. He's got a bit of experience in the role, so maybe he could do it. But I'm not exactly sure, to be honest." – Mike Hussey on who could lead CSK if Ruturaj isn't fit