IPL 2021: DC vs CSK, Match 50 Toss, Playing XI: Delhi Capitals elect to bowl against Chennai Super Kings

Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant won the toss and elected to bowl first against the Chennai Super Kings.

In team news, Ripal Patel was handed his cap during the Delhi Capitals huddle ahead of the toss and will make his debut. Patel comes in with Steve Smith missing out. Meanwhile three changes in the Chennai line-up. Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar and Robin Uthappa come in as Sam Curran, Asif and Raina miss out.

Both sides have already qualified for the playoffs this season, with 18 points from 12 matches. While the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings sit on top of the points table with a better run rate, the Rishabh Pant-led Capitals are placed a rung below them at second spot.

After becoming the first side to qualify, the Super Kings went down to a struggling Rajasthan Royals. The Royals defeated the overwhelming favourites by seven wickets. With two matches left for CSK in the group stage, the Super Kings will look to put the loss behind them and bounce back with a win.

Furthermore, having sealed their spots in the playoffs, both teams will look to work on their kinks when they face off in Dubai. In their last five meeting Capitals have been the favourites, winning on three occasions.

In the reverse fixture this season, the Delhi team defeated the Chennai outfit by eight wickets.

DC vs CSK Playing XIs:

DC Playing XI: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Ripal Patel, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan

CSK Playing 11: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood

Captain’s Speak:

Rishabh Pant (DC): We will bowl first. The wicket might do something early. We want to focus on the basics, since whatever we have been doing has been working for us. Always great learning from Dhoni, I’ve learnt so much from him. Ripal is debuting and Smith goes out. Ripal will bring depth to the lower order batting.

MS Dhoni (CSK): We were looking to bat first. The wicket looks tacky. Bravo comes in for Sam, Deepak for Asif and Uthappa for Raina.