Delhi Capitals (DC) will take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 13th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, March 31. Led by Rishabh Pant, the Capitals will look to bounce back after losing both their IPL 2024 matches so far. DC started their IPL 2024 campaign with a four-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS). They later lost to Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 12 runs in their previous fixture.

Having yet to open their account, the Capitals are languishing eighth in the IPL 2024 standings.

On the other hand, reigning champions CSK have made an impressive start to the new season, having won both their matches under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.

The Super Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by six wickets and followed it up by securing a comprehensive 63-run win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in their last match.

Ahead of another enthralling IPL 2024 clash, we look at the predicted XIs of both sides.

DC Predicted XI

David Warner

Australia’s David Warner has been the standout batter for DC in their opening two matches. The swashbuckling southpaw has scored 78 runs in two matches at an average of 39 and a strike rate of 141.81. He will aim to convert his starts to a big score against CSK.

Mitchell Marsh

Just like Warner, his opening partner Mitchell Marsh has got decent starts but has failed to capitalise in the first two matches. The right-handed batter has scored 43 runs at an impressive strike rate of 179.16. He will look to provide another blitzkrieg start in Visakhapatnam.

Ricky Bhui

Indian top-order batter Ricky Bhui could be given another opportunity despite failing to impress in the IPL 2024 so far. Bhui has registered disappointing scores of 3 and 0 in the first two matches this season. He will need to grab his chance if he has to cement his place in DC’s playing XI.

Rishabh Pant (captain/wicketkeeper)

Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant has also failed to convert his decent starts in the opening two matches. Pant has amassed 43 runs in two matches at a strike rate of 117.94. DC will hope Pant can return to his best against CSK on Sunday.

Tristan Stubbs

South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs played an impressive knock against Rajasthan Royals despite their defeat in the previous fixture. Chasing 186, Stubbs slammed an unbeaten 44 off 23 balls to almost pull off an incredible win for the Capitals. He will look to continue his good form in Vizag.

Axar Patel

Indian star all-rounder Axar Patel has contributed with both bat and ball for DC in their opening two matches. Axar has been economical with his left-arm spin, while also contributing some valuable runs lower down the order. He will play a key role if DC are to register a win over CSK.

Sumit Kumar

Bowling all-rounder Sumit Kumar has produced few lacklustre performances for the Capitals so far. The Gurgaon-born cricketer will need to bring his A-game against the defending champions.

Kuldeep Yadav

India’s star spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been the standout bowler for DC in their first two matches. The left-arm wrist-spinner has scalped three wickets in two matches at an average of 20.33 and an economy of 7.62. He could be the wrecker-in-chief for the Capitals in Vizag.

Anrich Nortje

DC fast bowler Anrich Nortje was expensive against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. Despite picking up the wicket of Dhruv Jurel, Nortje conceded 48 runs in his quota of four overs. The Proteas pacer will aim to bounce back against CSK on Sunday.

Khaleel Ahmed

Khaleel Ahmed has provided a few crucial breakthroughs for the Capitals in their opening two matches. The left-arm pacer has claimed three wickets in two matches at an economy of 8.37. He will look to pick up some early wickets to put pressure on the CSK batting line-up.

Mukesh Kumar

India international Mukesh Kumar replaced the injured Ishant Sharma in DC’s playing XI. The right-arm fast bowler gave away 49 runs against RR in his four overs. Earlier, he scalped the huge wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal. Mukesh will need to be tighter against CSK.

Impact Sub

Abishek Porel

CSK Predicted XI

Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain)

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has made a decent start to the new IPL season. The stylish right-handed batter has scored 61 runs in two matches at an average of 30.50 and a strike rate of 119.60. He will aim to score big against the struggling DC outfit.

Rachin Ravindra

New Zealand’s star batter Rachin Ravindra has been exceptional for CSK at the top of the order this season so far. The southpaw has already amassed 83 runs in two matches at an average of 41.50 and a strike rate of 237.14. He will aim to continue his scintillating form on Sunday.

Ajinkya Rahane

Experienced Ajinkya Rahane is expected to retain his place in CSK’s starting XI. Rahane has failed to convert his starts to a big score in the first two matches. Batting at number three, Rahane has scored 39 runs at a strike rate of 125.80. He will be eager to contribute against DC.

Shivam Dube

Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube has continued to impress for CSK in IPL 2024. The flamboyant left-hander has smashed 85 runs in two matches at a strike rate of 166.66 while being dismissed once. He will look to continue his magnificent form in Vizag.

Daryl Mitchell

New Zealand cricketer Daryl Mitchell has been a quality inclusion in CSK’s playing XI this season. Mitchell has scored 46 runs and has also bagged one wicket in two matches so far. He could play a key role for CSK on Sunday.

Sameer Rizvi

CSK’s new recruit Sameer Rizvi has shown glimpses of what he is capable of against Gujarat Titans in their last match. Batting at number six, Rizvi hammered two sixes to power CSK to over 200 at Chepauk. He will look to impress against the Capitals.

Ravindra Jadeja

India’s accomplished all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been a match-winner for CSK since 2012. Jadeja has scalped 152 wickets and accumulated 2,724 runs in 228 IPL matches so far. While Jadeja is yet to bag a wicket in IPL 2024, he has scored 32 runs lower down the order. He will once again hold the key with his all-round capabilities against DC.

MS Dhoni (wicketkeeper)

Such has been CSK’s dominance that MS Dhoni is yet to bat in IPL 2024. The former India captain has staggering numbers, having aggregated over 5,000 runs in 252 IPL matches. Dhoni will hope that the CSK top-order continues to shine against the Capitals.

Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar has been an integral member of CSK’s line-up since his IPL debut in 2018. Chahar has already made a good start to the season, having scalped three wickets in two matches at an average of 21.66 and an economy of 8.12. He will look to provide early breakthroughs against a star-studded DC batting line-up.

Tushar Deshpande

Tushar Deshpande produced a brilliant spell against Gujarat Titans in their last match. The right-arm pacer dismissed David Miller and Azmatullah Omarzai to finish with figures of 4-0-21-2. He will look to continue his good form in Visakhapatnam.

Mustafizur Rahman

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has been the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2024 so far. The 28-year-old left-arm pacer has picked up six wickets in two matches at an average of 9.83 and an economy of 7.37. He could trouble the DC batting line-up on Sunday.

Impact Sub

Matheesha Pathirana