DC vs CSK preview: 2 more points will open up points table for Delhi, Chennai; check head-to-head, pitch report, more

Delhi Capitals will host Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday, 5 May, at 7:30 PM IST in Match 48 of IPL 2026.

This is a mid-table clash between Number 6 and Number 7. Both Chennai and Delhi have 8 points each from their individual 9 matches. The Super Kings, with a positive Net run Rate of +0.005, are ranked higher than Delhi (-0.895).

Match Logistics

The game is at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, on Tuesday, 5 May, at 7:30 PM IST, with the toss at 7 PM IST. The match will be broadcast live on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar.

Head-to-Head Record

CSK and DC have met 32 times in the IPL. CSK lead convincingly with 20 wins against DC's 12. CSK's highest score in this fixture is 223. Their lowest is 110. DC have posted a maximum of 198 and a minimum of 83.

Recent results have been more balanced. CSK won by 23 runs earlier this season at Chepauk. DC won by 25 runs in Chennai in April 2025. DC also won by 20 runs in Visakhapatnam in March 2024. Before that, CSK dominated in 2023, winning both encounters by 27 and 77 runs.

At the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, CSK hold a strong 6-2 record. That makes DC's home ground no safe haven against Chennai.

Predicted Playing XI

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Sarfaraz Khan (Impact Player)

Delhi Capitals: KL Rahul, Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Abishek Porel (Impact Player)

Team News

CSK travel to Delhi with a heavily-depleted squad. MS Dhoni has not travelled and remains in Chennai. He is rehabilitating a persistent calf injury. He has not played a single match in IPL 2026.

Ramakrishna Ghosh is ruled out for the entire tournament with a foot fracture. Khaleel Ahmed has a Grade 2 quadriceps tear and is out for the season. Ayush Mhatre is also out with a hamstring injury.

Nathan Ellis was replaced earlier by Spencer Johnson, who is managing a back injury. Dewald Brevis has recovered from a side strain and is available.

For the Delhi Capitals, Lungi Ngidi has been confirmed fully fit by coach Ricky Ponting. He returns after a concussion suffered on April 25.

Mitchell Starc continues to lead the pace attack. Sahil Parakh remains doubtful with a facial injury. Ben Duckett is unavailable for personal reasons.

Key Players to Watch

KL Rahul is DC's batting backbone and a serious threat tonight. He has scored 433 runs this season at an average of 54.13. He holds the highest individual score of IPL 2026, an unbeaten 152 at this very venue.

Mitchell Starc has taken 3 wickets in just 2 matches since returning. Axar Patel has taken 9 career wickets against CSK while maintaining a tight line and length.

Sanju Samson has been CSK's most explosive batter in Dhoni's absence. He has scored 315 runs, including an unbeaten 115 against DC earlier this season.

Anshul Kamboj is the joint-leading wicket-taker in IPL 2026 with 17 scalps, keeping the Purple Cap with him for some time now. He is particularly dangerous in the death overs.

Jamie Overton has contributed 136 runs and 10 wickets this season. He took 4 for 18 against DC in their previous meeting.

Pitch and Conditions

Tonight's match is on Pitch No. 4 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. It is a fresh surface that has not been used in IPL 2026 yet. The black-soil pitch offers true bounce and consistent pace.

Short square boundaries of around 65 metres make it a batter's paradise. A par score here is considered 210 to 220.

Spinners may find some grip during the middle overs of the first innings. However, the pitch flattens completely under lights. Fast bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Anshul Kamboj could extract early swing due to post-storm moisture.

Heavy dew is expected from around the 12th over of the second innings. This will make the ball slippery and difficult for spinners to grip. Chasing teams have won five of six matches here in IPL 2026. Both captains are likely to bowl first after winning the toss.

The weather will be clear throughout with temperatures between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius.

The points table is getting tighter with every match. Under that scenario, a win here for either team will open up the table further. The winner will have 12 points, just like the top teams: RCB (2nd), SRH (3rd), RR (4th) and GT (5th).