IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals Opt to Bat First Against CSK as du Plessis is Absent
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Synopsis
On April 5, Delhi Capitals will play without vice-captain Faf du Plessis as Axar Patel won the toss and decided to bat first against Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium. DC, second on the points table, faces CSK, who is ninth, in match 17 of IPL 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Delhi Capitals will miss Faf du Plessis.
- Axar Patel opted to bat after winning the toss.
- KL Rahul and Jake Fraser-McGurk will open for DC.
- CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is recovering from an elbow injury.
- CSK has made two changes to their lineup.
Chennai, April 5 (NationPress) Delhi Capitals will be missing their vice-captain Faf du Plessis as captain Axar Patel won the toss and opted to bat first against the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings in match 17 of IPL 2025 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
DC, sitting second on the points table, comes off two consecutive victories, while CSK, currently in ninth place, arrives at their home ground following two back-to-back defeats. After winning the toss, Axar revealed that du Plessis, who scored a fifty in their impressive win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, is unfit for the match and has been substituted by Sameer Rizvi in the playing eleven.
In the absence of du Plessis, KL Rahul is set to open the batting alongside Jake Fraser-McGurk. “We are going to bat first as it seems there will be assistance for the bowlers. I expect the pitch to slow down as the game goes on. Our squad has several players who have captained other franchises, which is helpful for me,” the all-rounder mentioned.
CSK's captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who sustained an elbow injury during the loss to Rajasthan Royals and was uncertain about playing in Saturday’s match, stated that Devon Conway (who received a warm cheer from the crowd) and Mukesh Choudhary replace Jamie Overton and Rahul Tripathi respectively.
“We were also considering batting first. The pitch looks somewhat dry. It’s a bit overcast, which won’t change much. Momentum is crucial in T20 cricket. Overall, our discussions have been positive. We aim to enhance our fielding continuously. We want to take initiative. My elbow is fine,” he commented.
Playing XIs
Chennai Super Kings: Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, and Matheesha Pathirana
Impact Substitutes: Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Nathan Ellis
Delhi Capitals: Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul (wk), Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (captain), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohit Sharma
Impact Substitutes: Mukesh Kumar, Karun Nair, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay
