IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals win toss, opt to bat against Chennai Super Kings; Rizvi replaces unfit Faf du Plessis

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 5 (ANI): Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and opted to bat against Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
Chennai are coming into the home fixture after two defeats on the trot. After securing a dominant victory over arch-rival Mumbai Indians, they were defeated comprehensively by Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home for the first time since 2008. They travelled to Guwahati to find the winning momentum but failed to chase down the Rajasthan Royals' 182-run target.
On the other hand, the Delhi Capitals have been flying high in the ongoing season. They arrived at the Chepauk with two consecutive victories over Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants. Their campaign opener against LSG was a nervy affair, but Ashutosh Sharma's brilliance helped them salvage a one-wicket win. Against SRH, DC pulled off a clinical performance to maintain their unbeaten streak.
After winning the toss, Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel said, "We are going to bat first. Feels like there'll be help for the bowlers. Expect it to get slower as the game progresses. In our team, we have a few players who have captained other franchises, and that helps me a lot. Same combination. Faf is not fit for this game. Sameer Rizvi is playing."
Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said during the time of the toss, "We were looking to bat as well. Looks a bit dry. It's a bit cloudy, but it won't change much. You always want momentum in T20 cricket. Overall, the chat has been positive. Fielding is something which we can improve day by day. We want to be proactive. The elbow is good. Conway comes in for Overton. Mukesh comes in from Tripathi."
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul(w), Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana. (ANI)