Chennai, Apr 4: In the sweltering afternoon heat of Chennai, when the batters will sweat it out on a sluggish pitch, it could well be the wrist-spinners who dictate terms as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) host a confident Delhi Capitals (DC) in match 17 of IPL 2025 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.

While Chennai grapple with concerns over form and combinations, Delhi arrive with back-to-back wins and momentum on their side. But it is the wrist-spin duel between India’s Kuldeep Yadav and Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad that may ultimately decide which way the contest swings.

Kuldeep, with an exceptional economy of 5.25, has been quite lethal, extracting purchase with smart use of the crease and subtle variations in pace and arm speed. On the other hand, Noor’s flatter trajectory and faster pace have earned him nine wickets already, making him equally dangerous on surfaces where the ball holds and turns.

For Chennai, the challenge is as much in the mind as it is on the field. Their campaign so far has been stop-start, with only one win from three matches, and their batting frailties are becoming increasingly evident.

Apart from Shivam Dube, who has looked in solid touch, CSK lack consistent hitters who can score at over 180 strike rate in the back half of the innings. The once-reliable finishing prowess of MS Dhoni has waned with age and there's a visible void when it comes to explosive batting at the death.

The move to open with Rahul Tripathi has also not borne fruit. Tripathi has looked uncomfortable against quality pace and has failed to justify the decision to push Ruturaj Gaikwad down the order - a call that now appears under scrutiny. In response, CSK called up 17-year-old Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre, a product of U-19 India and a Ranji centurion, for trials suggesting a potential shake-up at the top of the order.

Delhi, in contrast, have shown better balance and aggression. The middle order, bolstered by Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam and KL Rahul - now playing without the burden of captaincy - looks more potent this season. The side chased down targets in Vizag comfortably, but Chepauk will offer a far tougher challenge.

Here’s where the inclusion of Faf du Plessis could become a game-changer. The former CSK stalwart knows these conditions inside out and could be the guiding voice for young batters like Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs and Abhishek Porel, who form the heart of DC’s batting unit.

The pitch at MA Chidambaram is expected to be slow and conducive to spin. Afternoon conditions will negate any dew advantage, making toss less of a deciding factor and putting more emphasis on tactical bowling and smart batting.

Historically, CSK have dominated DC at Chepauk, but the current form and team balance tilt the scales in Delhi’s favour. A win for DC could take them to the top of the table, while CSK desperately need to arrest their slide before it’s too late.

While Delhi are currently in great form, the head-to-head record tilts strongly in Chennai's favour. CSK have won 19 of the 30 encounters between the two sides, with DC managing just 11 victories.

Match Details

Time: 3:30 pm IST (toss at 3 pm)
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Live Broadcast: Star Sports network
Live Stream: JioHotstar app & website

Squads:

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

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

(IANS)

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