Last Updated on 19 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey

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Delhi Capitals (DC) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will meet in the 48th game of IPL 2026. Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, will host this game on 5th May 2026 at 7:30 PM IST.

CSK defeated DC by 23 runs when these two teams met earlier this season. This is a must-win match for both sides to keep their playoff chances alive.

DC defeated the in-form Rajasthan Royals in their last match by seven wickets. It was their fourth victory of this season, and it came after three consecutive defeats. The Capitals are seventh in the table with four wins in nine matches. Mitchell Starc (3/40) picked up crucial wickets on his return to the IPL. Delhi’s bowling this season has been very ordinary to this point, and they need the bowlers to take responsibility. 

On the other hand, CSK are sixth in the points table with four wins in nine matches, but with a better net run rate. CSK defeated Mumbai Indians by 8 wickets in their last match. Ruturaj Gaikwad (67* runs) scored his second fifty in two matches. Kartik Sharma (54* runs) also kept his cool to see his side over the line.

Anshul Kamboj (3/32) and Noor Ahmad (2/26) continued their good form, especially Kamboj, who’s been brilliant for CSK this season. Jamie Overton also bowled well alongside Mukesh Kumar. 

Match Details

IPL 2026 48th Match: DC vs CSK Probable Playing XIIs

David Miller didn’t play the last game, and DC’s expected to be unchanged but they can bring in Mukesh Kumar for Kyle Jamieson and bring Miller in for Sameer Rizvi.

Pathum Nissanka (62 runs) got them off to a great start, and the team needs more runs from him at the top. KL Rahul (75 runs) continued his excellent form, and Nitish Rana (33 runs) continued supporting him at number three.

The middle order has been shaky, and they can’t always rely on the top three.

Delhi Capitals: 1. KL Rahul (wk), 2. Pathum Nissanka, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Sameer Rizvi, 5. David Miller, 6. Tristan Stubbs, 7. Axar Patel, 8. Ashutosh Sharma, 9. Kyle Jamieson/Lungi Ngidi, 10. Mitchell Starc, 11. T Natarajan, 12. Karun Nair/Vipraj Nigam

Ramakrishna Ghosh is ruled out of the IPL and Simarjeet Singh has replaced him. Simarjeet can play this game straightaway.

Skipper Ruturaj coming back to form is a big boost, and they’ll need the others to continue performing with the bat. Urvil Patel has looked in good touch while Kartik Sharma played maturely in the last match. Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis’ form will be a concern, as both are key batters for CSK. 

Chennai Super Kings: 1. Sanju Samson (wk), 2. Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), 3. Urvil Patel, 4. Kartik Sharma, 5. Dewald Brevis, 6. Shivam Dube, 7. Prashant Veer, 8. Jamie Overton, 9. Anshul Kamboj, 10. Noor Ahmad, 11. Mukesh Kumar, 12. Simarjeet Singh

Arun Jaitley Stadium Delhi Pitch Report and Weather

The pitch at Delhi has been a good one for batting, but there has been some assistance for the bowlers as well. PBKS chased down 264 runs, and in the next game, DC were bowled out for 75. For this game, the wicket is expected to aid the batters with good assistance for the pacers with the new ball. The average first innings score here this season is 177 runs, and chasing sides have won three of the four matches.

The weather will be clear, with the temperature being around 30 degrees Celsius with no chance of rain. 

Fantasy Cricket Tips for DC vs CSK: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top wicketkeeper picks:

• Sanju Samson has 319 runs in nine matches this season with two centuries to his name, one of which came against DC. He averages 45 with a strike rate of 167.55. Samson has been the best batter for CSK this season and will be a top C/VC option as well.
• KL Rahul has has 433 runs so far in nine matches at an average of 54.12 and a strike rate of 185.83 with three fifties and a hundred. Rahul will be an ideal C/VC pick as SPODA AI predictive analysis rates him a 34.03% chance of scoring a half-century – the highest probability of any player in this match.

Key batter picks: 

• Ruturaj Gaikwad has 245 runs in nine matches, with two fifties in the last two games. He’s looked composed and is taking responsibility with the bat. He has a 29.41% chance of making a 50+ score according to SPODA AI predictive analysis.
• Dewald Brevis has failed to get going this season. He’s made a couple of starts but failed to capitalise on them. Brevis is one of the most impactful batters when he gets going and can change the course of the game in the middle overs. 

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Axar Patel has been far from his best this season, but he will contribute with both bat and ball, which makes him a top fantasy pick. He has 31 runs and eight wickets so far in the tournament. 
• Jamie Overton picked up four wickets in the last match against Delhi. He’s been a key bowler for CSK in the middle and death overs with his hard lengths, and he can hit a long ball. Overton will be a must-pick in fantasy cricket for this match.

Key bowler picks: 

• Mitchell Starc took three wickets in his first appearance of this season. He can cause CSK’s top order trouble and is a 50.67% chance of taking 2+ wickets according to SPODA AI predictive analysis.
• Noor Ahmad has nine wickets in nine matches. He’s been in great form in the last few games. Noor is a genuine wicket-taker, and he’ll lead CSK’s spin attack and can cause trouble for Delhi’s middle order.
• Anshul Kamboj is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2026 with 17 wickets in nine matches. His economy is 8.49 and at a bowling strike rate of 11.10. Kamboj has been excellent in every phase of the match and has bowled very smartly. Try him as C/VC while bowling first.

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Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Urvil Patel.
• Kuldeep Yadav.
• Kartik Sharma.
• Nitish Rana.
• Tristan Stubbs.

Other Matchups and Facts 

• CSK leads the head-to-head record by 20-12 against Delhi Capitals. 
• Sanju Samson vs. Axar Patel (T20s): 91 runs, 2 dismissals in 74 deliveries.
• Ruturaj Gaikwad vs. T Natarajan (T20s): 46 runs, 3 dismissals in 33 deliveries.
• Axar Patel vs. Noor Ahmad (T20s): 36 runs, 2 dismissals in 22 deliveries.
• David Miller vs. Noor Ahmad (T20s): 33 runs, 3 dismissals in 42 deliveries.

IPL 2026 48th Match: DC vs CSK Dream11 Prediction Today

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Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

IPL 2026 48th Match: DC vs CSK Match Prediction: Who will win?

Both teams are in good form coming to this game. At the moment, the Delhi Capitals are heavily dependent on KL Rahul and Nitish Rana with the bat, and their middle order hasn’t had a great time. CSK, on the other hand, is also having issues with their middle order not performing up to the mark. But CSK’s bowling has been better compared to DC so far. 

Chennai Super Kings to win.

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