Match Details
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Fixture: Chennai Super Kings vs. Delhi Capitals, Match 17, IPL 2025
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Date & Time: Saturday, April 5, 2025, 3:30 PM IST
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Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
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Live Broadcast and Streaming: Sports18/Star Sports Network, JioHotstar (app & website)
Teams Overview
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
The Chennai Super Kings have had a challenging start to IPL 2025, suffering consecutive losses against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals. These setbacks have highlighted areas needing improvement in both their batting and bowling departments. Coach Stephen Fleming has noted that veteran player MS Dhoni is managing his fitness, particularly after knee surgery in 2023, which has influenced his batting position in recent matches.
Key Players:
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Ruturaj Gaikwad: Leading the team’s run charts with 116 runs from three innings at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 156.75.
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Noor Ahmad: 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.
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MS Dhoni: Despite batting lower in the order to manage his fitness, Dhoni’s experience and leadership remain invaluable to the team.
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Delhi Capitals have shown strong form this season, securing consecutive victories and currently holding the second position on the points table. Under the leadership of Axar Patel, the team has displayed a balanced performance in both batting and bowling departments.
Key Players:
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KL Rahul: Acquired from Lucknow Super Giants, Rahul brings stability to the top order and is a strong contender for the captaincy role.
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Mitchell Starc: The experienced Australian pacer adds depth to the bowling attack and is expected to lead the pace department.
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Jake Fraser-McGurk: After a stellar previous season, Fraser-McGurk aims to provide aggressive starts at the top of the order.
Head-to-Head Record
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Total Matches Played: 33
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Chennai Super Kings Wins: 19
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Delhi Capitals Wins: 11
Historically, CSK has had the upper hand in encounters against DC.
Pitch Report – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
The pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium traditionally favors spinners, offering turn and bounce as the game progresses. Batsmen may find scoring challenging, especially against quality spin attacks. The average first-innings score is around 160-170, and teams winning the toss might prefer to bat first to capitalize on the deteriorating pitch conditions later in the game.
Probable Playing XIs
Chennai Super Kings:
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Ruturaj Gaikwad
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Rahul Tripathi
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Devon Conway
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Ravindra Jadeja
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MS Dhoni (wk)
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Shivam Dube
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Ravichandran Ashwin
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Noor Ahmad
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Matheesha Pathirana
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Khaleel Ahmed
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Nathan Ellis
Delhi Capitals:
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KL Rahul (wk)
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Jake Fraser-McGurk
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Harry Brook
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Tristan Stubbs
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Abhishek Porel
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Axar Patel (c)
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Mitchell Starc
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Kuldeep Yadav
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Mukesh Kumar
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T Natarajan
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Faf du Plessis
Probable Scenarios
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Scenario 1: If Chennai Super Kings win the toss and opt to bat first, they will aim to post a total above 170, leveraging their batting lineup’s strength and the familiarity with home conditions.
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Scenario 2: If Delhi Capitals win the toss and choose to bat first, they will look to set a challenging target, relying on their in-form top order and the depth in their batting lineup.
Match Prediction
Considering current form and team compositions, Delhi Capitals appear to have a slight edge over Chennai Super Kings. However, CSK’s familiarity with home conditions and the potential impact of their spin duo, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, could balance the scales. The match is expected to be closely contested, with the team executing their plans more effectively likely to emerge victorious.