The battle for playoff spots heats up in the Indian Premier League 2026 as Chennai Super Kings face Delhi Capitals in Match 48 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium today. With both sides locked at four wins from nine matches, this contest could play a key role in shaping the playoff race, especially with CSK marginally ahead on net run rate. DC skipper Axar Patel won the toss for the match and invited Rututaj Gaikwad-led CSK to bowl first.
IPL 2026 DC vs CSK playing 11: DC playing 11: KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Karun Nair, Tristan Stubbs, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan Impact players: David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Karun Nair, Abishek Porel, Auqib Nabi Dar
Chennai Super Kings playing 11: Sanju Samson (w), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh
Impact players: Sarfaraz Khan, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Shivam Dube
CSK have had a mixed campaign, largely affected by injuries, with Ramakrishna Ghosh the latest to be ruled out. Despite this, their bowling attack has been consistent across phases. However, their batting unit has struggled for rhythm, with inconsistency from Sanju Samson and a lack of strong finishes costing them crucial runs.
Delhi, meanwhile, appear to be peaking at the right time. Their top order has delivered runs regularly, while the return of Mitchell Starc adds bite to their pace attack. With Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav leading the spin unit, DC will aim to overcome inconsistency and strengthen their playoff push.
Now, before the two sides finally take the ground, let’s take a look at the captaincy record of both skippers, their expected playing 11 combinations, and key player match-ups for the game.