05 May,2026 07:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Axar Patel (Pic: File Pic)
In the IPL 2026 match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Delhi Capitals' (DC) skipper Axar Patel has won the toss and elected to bat first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
The Capitals will enter the clash with one change, where Kyle Jamieson will make way for Lungi Ngidi.
After winning the toss, DC's skipper Axar said, "We will bat first. I think the surface looks good, and we feel it's a very good pitch. Maybe in the second innings it might slow down a bit, so I'd like to give that advantage to our bowlers. The way the tournament is going, it's a very important match. But at the same time, it's more important to focus on how you're playing. You can't think too much about points - if you do, you put extra pressure on yourself. That's what we've been discussing as a team, we just want to play good cricket, and the points will take care of themselves".
"We've lost some close matches, but if you look at the season overall, I'm happy with the wins and performances. That's what happens sometimes, but if we talk about cricket, I'm very happy with the boys' batting and bowling. In fielding, if we had done better, we could have been in a stronger position. One change - Lungi Ngidi in place of Kyle Jamieson," he added.
The Super Kings have added Akeal Hosein and Gurjapneet Singh in their playing XI.
CSK's captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, said, "We were looking to bowl first, but the pitch looks a bit dry, so I don't think it will change much. So batting or bowling first won't make much difference. (On the team atmosphere) There have been some positive signs in the last 2-3 matches. Even though we haven't won every game, there are good positives. Since the first three matches of the tournament, we've improved a lot in all departments. Our bowling has been doing really well, and the batting is slowly coming together. We just want to carry that momentum into the last phase of the tournament".
"We're really happy coming into this game, especially after the last one. But this is a new game, so we want to start fresh and start well. It's also great to see youngsters getting opportunities and stepping up. It's a good sign for the franchise - they are repaying the faith shown by the management. Still a long way to go. We have had to tinker with the team after Ghosh got injured. Two changes - Akeal Hosein and Gurjapneet Singh are in," added the 29-year-old cricketer.
Delhi Capitals: KL Rahul (WK), Pathum Nissanka, Karun Nair, Tristan Stubbs, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel (C), Ashutosh Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T. Natarajan.
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh.
