Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) will be up against each other in Match No.16 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Saturday, April 5 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Just three games into the tournament, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) 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.
Moreover, it has been learnt that their skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad may not feature in the upcoming clash due to an elbow injury. In his absence, MS Dhoni might return as the captain. The pressure is well and truly on the Super Kings to set the ball rolling.
 CSK vs DC : Previous Performances
The home team CSK is coming into the game on the back of two consecutive losses against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals by 50 runs and six runs, respectively. However, they will be happy to play in front of their home crowd and put on a show for them.
The Super Kings are languishing at the bottom of the table with a net run rate of -0.771. After beginning with a comprehensive win over Mumbai Indians (MI), CSK have lost their way a wee bit, losing back-to-back matches at the hands of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR).
On the other hand, DC have looked like a formidable squad so far, winning two matches in a row. Currently placed second in the points table, the Axar Patel-led side will be hoping to extend their winning streak and claim the top spot. The Capitals, who have built a well-balanced squad this year, appear to be the dark horses of the season and strong contenders for the title.
The Capitals, on the other hand, are in stupendous form and are one of the two unbeaten teams along with Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings (PBKS). Having won both their matches, they will be fancying their chances to reach the top of the table. They had to fight hard against the Super Giants where they won by one wicket after Ashutosh Sharma’s heroics. But in their second match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), they chased down a target of 164 with 24 balls to spare. Mitchell Starc was their star bowler with his maiden five-wicket haul in T20s.
CSK vs DC : Head to Head
The Super Kings have dominated the Capitals over the years with a 30-19 lead. At Chepauk, CSK have won seven out of nine games against DC. In their last five meetings, the Super Kings have won four times.
| Matches Played | 30 |
| Won by Chennai Super Kings | 19 |
| Won by Delhi Capitals | 11 |
| Tied | 00 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First-ever Fixture | May 2, 2008 |
| Most recent Fixture | March 31, 2024 |
CSK vs DC : Pitch and Weather Report
The pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium is expected to be solid and well-prepared. While it may initially appear batter-friendly, its true nature will change as the game progresses. Last season’s average score was around 170, but scores could be higher this time. Interestingly, good-length areas without much grass tend to grip slightly, bringing spinners into play. A score of around 160-170 is considered par, while anything close to 185 could be match-winning. Captains will need to factor this into their decisions at the toss.
The Chepauk track continues to be a mystery to an extent that Fleming has stated there is “no home advantage” for CSK. A hot and humid afternoon is in the offing in the only day game in Chennai this season. 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.
The average score at Chepauk is around the 156-run mark, which means that an overly high-scoring match may not be on the cards. The teams batting first have won 61 times while the chasing teams have won 51 times. There is only a seven per cent chance of rain on Saturday, which means that full overs are on the cards. The conditions will be dangerously humid with the numbers in the high 60s. There will be a cloud cover of 25 per cent, but they are hardly threatening.
CSK vs DC : Big Picture : All eyes on the Chepauk pitch and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s availability
Delhi Capitals (DC) have emerged as the early pace-setters, along with Punjab Kings (PBKS), in IPL 2025 while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been dreadfully off the pace so far.
Having suffered their biggest-ever defeat at Chepauk, in terms of runs last Friday against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and a much narrower loss away from home against Rajasthan Royals (RR), CSK will be hoping for some home advantage this Saturday. Their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is under an injury cloud, and if he doesn’t recover in time MS Dhoni is likely to captain CSK on Saturday.
After CSK’s 50-run defeat against RCB, their head coach Stephen Fleming was spotted having a chat with the pitch curator, with a member of the ground staff in tow. He then came out to the press conference and expressed his discontent with the nature of the surfaces being rolled out at Chepauk over the past two years. Expecting purchase for the spinners, CSK packed their squad with bowlers of slower variety, but the pitches haven’t really aided them.
Three games into the season, CSK are also searching for their best combination. Rahul Tripathi has been struggling at the top while Vijay Shankar, who was swapped in for Deepak Hooda in Guwahati, also fell without making a substantial contribution with the bat. Old-ball specialist Jamie Overton, who was handed the new ball, ended up leaking 30 runs in two powerplay overs.
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 saw 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. Completely unlike CSK, changes have already been made involving Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran and Jamie Overton.
As for DC, they look in much healthier shape, having recruited experienced super-specialists who have dovetailed beautifully with the youngsters. Faf du Plessis continues to go strong at 40 while Mitchell Starc has hit the ground running this season, with eight strikes in two games at an average of 9.62 and an economy rate of 10.04. Rookies Vipraj Nigam and Ashutosh Sharma have seamlessly slotted into the side and have already played match-winning hands.
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. In the next, the top order made up for it as last season’s runners-up SRH were blown away with ease. With an attack consisting of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam, a slowish surface might actually play into DC’s hands.
Even if Chepauk dishes out a pitch that turns, DC have captain Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Nigam to exploit it and turn the tables on CSK. They look ready to end their 15-year jinx against CSK at Chepauk: the last time they beat them was in 2010 when their current coach Hemang Badani was part of the CSK squad as a player. Badani then transitioned into a coach and led Chepauk Super Gillies to multiple titles in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), which put him back on the IPL radar. Will it be a happy homecoming for Badani
CSK vs DC : In the spotlight: Khaleel Ahmed and Faf du Plessis
Khaleel Ahmed‘s swing has been one of the bright spots for CSK in an otherwise bleak start to the season. He has moved the new ball both ways so much that he seems like an upgrade over Deepak Chahar with the ball. However, there’s a large discrepancy between his numbers in night and day matches. Since 2023 in night fixtures, he has picked up 11 wickets in 22 innings at an average of 32.18 and economy rate of 7.37. In day fixtures, the numbers diminish to two wickets in five innings at an average of 64 and economy rate of 11.63.
Faf du Plessis, one of CSK’s most respected overseas stalwarts, will come up against them at Chepauk. At 40, he continues to tear up powerplays, patrol the hotspots in the outfield, and bring leadership qualities to franchises around the world. His Benjamin Button act in T20 cricket is set to continue at DC and their affiliate franchise in the Hundred, Southern Brave.
CSK vs DC : Vital Stats that matters
- CSK have the lowest run rate (7.27) and the worst economy rate (10.22) among all ten teams in the powerplay in IPL 2025
- Matheesha Pathirana has dismissed Tristan Stubbs in four innings while giving away just 19 runs off 22 balls in T20 cricket
- Watch out for Jake Fraser-McGurk vs Khaleel. Since IPL 2024, the Australian opener has scored 72 runs off 35 balls against left-arm seamers at a strike rate of over 205 while being dismissed three times
- Three of the oldest players in IPL 2025 will be in action on Saturday – MS Dhoni (43), du Plessis (40) and R Ashwin (38).
- Gaikwad is ten away from 5000 T20 runs. If he plays and gets there on Saturday in his 143rd innings, he will be the joint-fastest Indian to the landmark along with KL Rahul Chris Gayle got there in 132 innings
- 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.
CSK vs DC : Team News for CSK and DC
Chennai Super Kings
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. If Gaikwad isn’t fit for Saturday’s game, CSK might bring in Devon Conway at the top and swap out Jamie Overton for a local seamer.
Tactics & Match-ups:
With Rahul Tripathi struggling up top against pace, there is a case for CSK to drop him down to face spin. Tripathi does hold a pretty good record against DC’s most potent spin weapon, Kuldeep Yadav, striking at 200.
Probable XII: Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Shivam Dube, Sam Curran, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (WK), Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Jamie Overton
Delhi Capitals
Injuries/Unavailability:
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. DC have no reason to change their winning combination unless T Natarajan has recovered fully from a shoulder injury. On the eve of this game, Kuldeep Yadav suggested that Natarajan is an uncertain starter but might be ready to go for DC’s clash against RCB in Bengaluru on April 10.
Tactics & Match-ups:
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 XII: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abhishek Porel, KL Rahul (WK), Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar
CSK vs DC Fantasy XI :Â KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Noor Ahmad
CSK vs DC Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter: Ruturaj Gaikwad
Although a doubter starter in this match even if he plays as an Impact Player , Ruturaj Gaikwad will look to help CSK secure their second win of the season with a classy knock. The batter has already registered two fifty-plus scores and is riding high on confidence. Ruturaj Gaikwad is once again in terrific form this season, leading his side’s run charts with 116 runs from three innings at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 156.75.
Probable Best Bowler: Noor Ahmad
Noor Ahmad is currently the highest wicket-taker in the competition, with nine wickets from three innings at an average of 9.11 and an economy of 6.83. The 20-year-old spinner will look to continue his excellent form and bamboozle the opposition batters with his variations.
CSK vs DC : Match Prediction
Scenario 1
- Chennai Super Kings win the toss and bowl
- PP Score – 50-60
- DC- 190-200
- Chennai Super Kings win the match
Scenario 2
- Delhi Capitals win the toss and bowl
- PP score – 60-70
- CSK- 200-210
- Delhi Capitals win the match
Also Read:Â CSK vs DC: MS Dhoni All Set To Lead Against CSK; Ruturaj Gaikwad Under Injury Cloud- Reports