Chennai, April 11 (NationPress) Fast bowler Auqib Nabi Dar, who emerged as the top wicket-taker during Jammu and Kashmir's victorious 2025/26 Ranji Trophy campaign, has received his IPL debut cap after Delhi Capitals won the toss and chose to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai this Saturday.

DC enters this match following a heartbreaking one-run loss to the Gujarat Titans, while CSK is looking to break a streak of three straight defeats. CSK has welcomed back Dewald Brevis, who recently recovered from a side strain, along with left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh.

Upon winning the toss, DC captain Axar Patel announced that Nabi and Ashutosh Sharma would replace Vipraj Nigam and Nitish Rana in the playing eleven. Ashutosh is set to join as the Impact Player in DC’s batting lineup, with Sameer Rizvi positioned at number three.

“We prefer to bowl first as the pitch appears to be in good condition, and we are better suited to chase whatever target is set. The IPL is a lengthy tournament, and the atmosphere in the dressing room is quite relaxed,” he stated.

“Our focus has been on controlling what we can. Once we reach a certain point, there’s no need for excessive overthinking. That’s the mindset—managing what’s within our reach. The mood is positive. The balance of our team covers nearly all bases,” he explained.

“Based on our available options, I believe we have chosen a strong combination. Compared to last season, our team appears more well-rounded, and we hope to perform effectively today. The pitch has been favorable for batting this season. Historically, it has played well in Chennai. As it is a red soil pitch, we can expect decent bounce. Our goal will be to limit CSK to as low a total as possible and then successfully chase it down,” he added.

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad expressed satisfaction with Brevis's return to bolster the middle order and noted that Gurjapneet replaces Matt Henry. On the condition of MS Dhoni, who is recovering from a calf injury, Gaikwad mentioned that Dhoni will be watching the match from the team hotel and is hopeful for his swift return.

“The pitch seems somewhat dry. We were undecided about the toss, but it’s reassuring to back ourselves. Our goal is to put our best foot forward today, secure our first victory, and make our mark on the points table. This has been our focus over the last few games,” he remarked.

“As I stated in the press conference, we’re making strides in all areas. Our batting has been strong; it’s merely a few crucial moments where we’ve faltered, and those are the aspects we must capitalize upon. Overall, everyone is in a positive mindset and eager to perform. When examining the balance of the squad, we are certainly playing to our potential,” he stated.

In the pitch report, experts Daren Ganga and Deep Dasgupta highlighted the challenging ground dimensions—a 79-meter straight boundary alongside square boundaries of 65 and 68 meters.

With conditions becoming increasingly favorable for bowlers, they pointed out that visible bare patches could assist spinners, while an even grass covering should provide a stable platform for batters, suggesting the possibility of another high-scoring match.

Playing XIs:

Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, and Khaleel Ahmed

Impact substitutes: Matthew Short, Akeal Hosein, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, and Matt Henry

Delhi Capitals: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (wk), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (c), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Auqib Nabi Dar, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, and Mukesh Kumar

Impact substitutes: Vipraj Nigam, Ashutosh Sharma, Karun Nair, Dushmantha Chameera, and Nitish Rana