IPL 2026 Today's Match: CSK vs DC playing 11, batters vs bowlers matchups

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will face Delhi Capitals (DC) in Match 18 of IPL 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium tonight. Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel has won the toss and elected to field first on the night.  CSK enter this contest under pressure after a disappointing start to the season, having lost all three of their opening matches.  Despite a few individual performances with bat and ball, the team has struggled to find consistency and balance, going down against Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. With a squad packed with experienced names, CSK will be hoping to quickly turn things around.

 

 

Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, have had a stronger campaign so far, winning two of their first three matches before suffering a narrow one-run defeat to Gujarat Titans in their previous outing. They will aim to bounce back and regain momentum as they head to Chepauk.

 

Both teams come into this clash on the back of losses, but CSK appear to have more concerns to address. DC will take confidence from KL Rahul’s return to form after his impressive 92-run knock, while CSK will be boosted by the comeback of Dewald Brevis, who returns from injury to strengthen their batting lineup.  IPL 2026 Match 17, PBKS vs SRH: LIVE SCORE | FULL SCORECARD | PLAYING 11 | LIVE STREAMING

 

Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy record in IPL (CSK)

Matches: 90

Wins: 52

Losses: 35

N/R: 3

Win percentage: 57.78%

 

Axar Patel's captaincy record in IPL (DC)

Matches: 3

Wins: 1

Losses: 2

N/R: 0

Win percentage: 33.33% 

 

IPL 2026: CSK playing 11 vs DC

 

Dewald Brevis is expected to return for CSK’s crucial clash against Delhi Capitals at MA Chidambaram Stadium, strengthening their batting lineup. The youngster hinted at his comeback with a public message, saying “See you guys on the 11th,” sparking excitement among fans. 

 

Brevis, who impressed as an injury replacement last season, has continued his strong form in franchise and international cricket, establishing himself as a dynamic T20 batter. His return is seen as a major boost for CSK, who are desperate to bounce back after a poor start and regain momentum in IPL 2026.

 

Chennai Super Kings Playing 11: Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Khaleel Ahmed

 

CSK squad for IPL 2026: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dewald Brevis, MS Dhoni, Urvil Patel, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ayush Mhatre, Khaleel Ahmed, Nathan Ellis, Gurjapneet Singh, Noor Ahmad, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Zakary Foulkes, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Shreyas Gopal, Anshul Kamboj

 

IPL 2026: DC playing 11 vs CSK

 

Pathum Nissanka has been in excellent form, scoring 86 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 145.77 and will aim for a big knock. KL Rahul recovered strongly from early failures with a brilliant 92 off 52 balls, while Nitish Rana’s poor return of just 20 runs in three matches remains a concern for DC. 

 

In the middle order, Axar Patel leads a balanced unit with Tristan Stubbs and David Miller, though consistency is still missing. Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, and T Natarajan form a versatile bowling attack with varying strengths across phases of the innings.

 

Delhi Capitals Playing 11: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul(w), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Auqib Nabi Dar, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar

 

DC squad for IPL 2026: Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Tripurana Vijay, David Miller, Ben Duckett, Auqib Nabi Dar, Pathum Nissanka, Lungi Ngidi, Prithvi Shaw, Kyle Jamieson, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Madhav Tiwari, T Natarajan, Sahil Parakh

 

IPL 2026: CSK vs DC key player battles 

3. KL Rahul vs Khaleel Ahmed

 

CSK will be keen to break the momentum of the in-form opening duo of KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka, with Rahul being a key threat at the top of the order. Khaleel Ahmed is expected to use the new ball effectively, relying on his pace and swing to challenge him early.

 

As per IPL records, Khaleel has dismissed Rahul once in seven T20 meetings. However, Rahul has still managed a healthy strike rate of 130.76 in this matchup, showing that he can counter the left-arm seamer despite the occasional breakthrough.

 

2. Shivam Dube vs Kuldeep Yadav

 

Shivam Dube remains a crucial part of CSK’s middle order, especially with his ability to take on spin bowling aggressively. DC will be aware of his match-winning potential if he gets going.

 

Kuldeep Yadav will be tasked with controlling Dube in the middle overs. Although the wrist-spinner is yet to dismiss him in IPL cricket, he has managed to keep him relatively quiet. Dube has scored just 5 runs off 7 balls against Kuldeep so far, indicating a slightly favourable matchup for the bowler.

 

1. Sanju Samson vs Lungi Ngidi

 

Sanju Samson, CSK’s star batter, is still searching for form in the current IPL season, having registered three single-digit scores while struggling in the Powerplay. DC will aim to expose this vulnerability early.

 

Lungi Ngidi, with his variations and control, could be a key weapon in this phase. The head-to-head record is also in the bowler’s favour, as Ngidi has dismissed Samson in their only IPL meeting so far, giving DC a psychological edge in this duel.