Chennai Super Kings finished second on the points table, but lost the Qualifier 1 as Mumbai Indians raced away to a fine victory at Chepauk. They are coming into this game after two consecutive defeats, and they will want to set things straight as they aim for their eighth IPL final appearance. Delhi on the other hand finished in the top-four for the first time since 2012, and won their first play-off game when they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in a close game at Vizag last time around in the Eliminator.
They will be high on confidence after winning five of their last six games, and though they tend to lose the plot in pressure moments, the young team has plenty of promise and they will want to upstage CSK on a good batting track.
Delhi played the last game against SRH here, while CSK will play the first game at the venue this season. Adjusting to a new pitch in a crunch game might be a task, but the experienced players in the CSK unit have what it takes. They are the defending champions and are led by one of the best captains from India, while DC have shown they are capable of struggling in nervy situations. Hence, it is CSK's ability to remain calm under pressure that sees them as favourites.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: MS Dhoni (9.5 credits)
Though Pant is in fine form in the IPL 2019 as well, opting for Dhoni is a safer option.
Chennai Super Kings finished second on the points table, but lost the Qualifier 1 as Mumbai Indians raced away to a fine victory at Chepauk. They are coming into this game after two consecutive defeats, and they will want to set things straight as they aim for their eighth IPL final appearance. Delhi on the other hand finished in the top-four for the first time since 2012, and won their first play-off game when they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in a close game at Vizag last time around in the Eliminator.
They will be high on confidence after winning five of their last six games, and though they tend to lose the plot in pressure moments, the young team has plenty of promise and they will want to upstage CSK on a good batting track.
Delhi played the last game against SRH here, while CSK will play the first game at the venue this season. Adjusting to a new pitch in a crunch game might be a task, but the experienced players in the CSK unit have what it takes. They are the defending champions and are led by one of the best captains from India, while DC have shown they are capable of struggling in nervy situations. Hence, it is CSK's ability to remain calm under pressure that sees them as favourites.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: MS Dhoni (9.5 credits)
Though Pant is in fine form in the IPL 2019 as well, opting for Dhoni is a safer option. The DC keeper made 49 in the last game, but was not able to finish off the match for his team - and this is a tendency that has come to haunt Pant throughout his career. He often stumbles under pressure, which means that Dhoni is a safer option. He is the leading run-scorer for CSK this season and is the heart of the batting line-up with 405 runs at an average of a whopping 135 and a strike-rate of 138.69.
Batsman: Shikhar Dhawan (10 credits)
Opting for experience in a crunch game should be the way forward, and Dhawan makes for a good pick as the batter to watch out for. Traded from SRH in the start of the season, Dhawan has fired with 503 runs in 15 games with an unbeaten knock of 97 as his highest. With a strike rate that hovers around the 135-mark as well, Dhawan is a dangerous player at the top and how he navigates the spinners will be crucial.
All-rounder: Dwayne Bravo (9 credits)
Though the West Indian missed a few games due to an injury this season, he has returned with full vigour and can never be counted out from the game. Be it with the bat, ball or on the field, Bravo is always in the game. Though he has not received many opportunities with the bat, scoring only 65 runs, he has picked up 9 wickets and can be as lethal in the death as he was a few seasons ago.
Bowler: Imran Tahir (9.5 credits)
The South African has enjoyed bowling this IPL with 23 wickets so far. He has kept things tight as well, and with the opponents having a few iffy performers, Tahir would be eager to latch on and add to his tally. With Rabada - the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2019 with 25 wickets - ruled out, Tahir has a chance to stake a claim to the Purple Cap.
Captain: Shikhar Dhawan
Vice-captain: Suresh Raina
Alternative for VC: Imran Tahir
Predicted Playing XI:
Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Colin Munro, Axar Patel, Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Amit Mishra, Trent Boult, Ishant Sharma
