IPL 2025, CSK vs DC preview: Can Chennai Super Kings' bowling attack challenge unbeaten Delhi Capitals?

Chennai Super Kings will square off against Delhi Capitals in the 17th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, April 5.

Chennai Super Kings had a shaky start to their IPL 2025 campaign. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side won their opening match against their long-time rivals Mumbai Indians at Chepauk. However, the five-time champions failed to maintain consistency and winning momentum as they lost their next two matches against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals. With a win and two losses, CSK are currently at the 8th spot on the points table with two points  and have an NRR of -0.771. 

Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, had a great start to their season. They won the opening match against Lucknow Super Giants, followed by a victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Delhi Capitals are one of the two teams, alongside Punjab Kings, to have remained unbeaten in the ongoing edition of the IPL. With two wins, DC are at second place on the points table with four points and have a NRR of +1.320. 

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IPL 2025, CSK vs DC preview: Chennai Super Kings strength lies in bowling

After two consecutive losses, Chennai Super Kings will be aiming to make a strong comeback in front of their home crowd. The major concern has been CSK’s batting unit as the side has struggled to find consistency in their batting line-up, with only skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad delivering their best. Shivam Dube, Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, and Vijay Shankar have been inconsistent. MS Dhoni’s impact in the lower-order was not quite significant in the previous outings, as he did not have enough balls or opportunities to turn the tide in CSK’s favor. 

Chennai Super Kings’ strength lies in bowling attack, with Noor Ahmad has been impressive with sharp left-arm spin, complemented by pacer Khaleel Ahmad with the new ball in the powerplay. Ravichandran Ashwin has had a decent season so far, with three wickets in three matches. Maheesh Theekshana adds depth and variety to the attack—potentially giving CSK the edge to challenge Delhi Capitals’ in-form batting line-up and break their unbeaten streak.

A collective effort from batting and bowling units can help Chennai Super Kings put up a strong performance to challenge Delhi Capitals. 

IPL 2025, CSK vs DC preview: Delhi Capitals aim to maintain winning streak

After two successive wins, Delhi Capitals will be aiming for the third win on the trot in order to maintain winning streak in the IPL 2025. Delhi Capitals have a strong line-up in batting and bowling. Aggressive batters like Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel, Viprag Nigam, and Ashutosh Sharma. The return of KL Rahul had further boosted their batting line-up. 

The bowling unit is led by Mitchell Starc, who picked a five-wicket haul against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Kuldeep Yadav found his bowling rhythm in his previous outing, picking three wickets. . Skipper Axar Patel, Mohit Sharma, and Mukesh Kumar round out a potent bowling attack that can challenge any batting line-up.
 
With their balanced  team, Delhi Capitals are likely to pose a serious threat to Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming clash.

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IPL 2025, CSK vs DC preview: Squads

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Shaik Rasheed, Andre Siddarth C, Rahul Tripathi, Devon Conway, MS Dhoni, Vansh Bedi, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, Anshul Kamboj, Rachin Ravindra, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sam Curran, Matheesha Pathirana, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Gurjapneet Singh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed

Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel (C), Karun Nair, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Donovan Ferreira, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Darshan Nalkande, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Vipraj Nigam, Manvanth Kumar L, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari, Kuldeep Yadav, Dushmantha Chameera, Mitchell Starc, Mohit Sharma, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar.