Who won the toss in DC vs CSK in IPL 2026?

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Delhi Capitals won the toss and opted to bat first in IPL 2026 match no. 48 against Chennai Super Kings. DC captain Axar Patel returned to winning ways with the coin after losing two consecutive tosses. He won nine in a row before that. As for CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, he loses four in a row. Lungi Ngidi is back for DC after suffering a concussion. CSK have also brought back Akeal Hosein, with Ramakrishna Ghosh ruled out due to an injury.

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DC vs CSK LIVE score, IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals to bat first

DC vs CSK Toss: Why did DC choose to bat?

Axar Patel’s reasoning was the pitch. He thinks Arun Jaitley will slow down as the night goes on, so DC want to bat on the truer version of the surface and then throw the ball to Kuldeep Yadav and himself once it starts gripping. With DC bringing in Lungi Ngidi back, it will give the side the expertise in bowling slower deliveries if the pitch grips.

“We will bat first. It looks like a good surface and it could get a bit slow in the second innings, want to give the advantage to the bowlers. It’s an important match, but you can’t think about the points, it puts you under unnecessary pressure. Just do the basics well and don’t think about the results. I think we have batted and bowled pretty well, could’ve done better in the field. One change, Lungi Ngidi in place of Kyle Jamieson,” Axar Patel at the toss.

Ruturaj Gaikwad said he would have bowled too. He read the surface as dry but not the kind that falls apart. The bigger CSK question was Ramakrishna Ghosh’s injury, which forced two changes: Akeal Hosein comes in as the left-arm spin option and Gurjapneet Singh adds to the seam unit.

“We were looking to bowl; it looks a bit dry and don’t think it’ll not change a lot. So batting or bowling isn’t a worry. We’ve been improving a lot in all departments after the first three games, we just want the momentum to keep going. But this is a new game and we want to start well. Getting the youngsters in and repaying the faith shown by the management, but still a lot to do. We had to tinker a bit after Ghosh got injured. So, Akeal Hosein and Gurjapneet Singh come in,” Ruturaj Gaikwad at the toss.

Arun Jaitley Stadium Pitch Report

This is a venue of extremes. The boundaries are short, 66m on one side, 60m on the other, 73m down the ground. So anyone who middles it does not need to clear much. Eoin Morgan, on pitch duty, said afternoon and overnight rain has cooled things down a touch, which could give the seamers a bit of swing with the new ball.

The strip looks well-cracked but is rock-hard underneath, which usually plays true for batting. Morgan also pointed out that this ground has seen sides bowled out for 75 and 260 chased down, so first-innings reads here are basically guesswork. The one consistent lesson for bowlers: the ones who have done well at this ground have pitched the ball up, gone after early swing, and stayed brave with a fuller length. Pull it back, and the short boundaries punish you.

Even though the dimensions are short and the surface is hard, it is unlikely to have true bounce. Pacers have a window early, especially with cooler air, if they go full and attack the stumps. As the match progresses, the pitch is likely to slow down. The likes of Lungi Ngidi, who has mastered the slower ball, are likely to be the key for DC. For CSK, Akeal Hosein and Jamie Overton will play crucial roles.

DC vs CSK Playing XIs & Impact Subs

Delhi Capitals Playing XI

One swap. Ngidi in, Jamieson out. Jamieson’s lines were getting picked off at this venue’s short square boundaries, and Axar wants a hit-the-pitch option for a slowing surface.

KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Karun Nair, Tristan Stubbs, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan

Impact sub bench: Vipraj Nigam, Sameer Rizvi, Abishek Porel, Auqib Nabi Dar, David Miller

Chennai Super Kings Playing XI

CSK made two forced moves with Ramakrishna Ghosh injured. Akeal Hosein gives them a left-arm spin angle to go with Noor Ahmad in the middle overs. Gurjapneet Singh fills the seam slot. Useful insurance if the surface grips as Gaikwad expects.

Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh

Impact Sub bench: Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Akash Madhwal, Sarfaraz Khan

Record at the Arun Jaiteley Stadium for toss winners

Even though the Arun Jaitley Stadium is known as a chasing venue due to its short boundaries and the dew factor, stats say otherwise. In the last five seasons of the Indian Premier League, 84% of the captains have preferred to chase under lights. However, that idea is not backed by data. Chasing teams have won just 46% (7 wins, 8 losses, 1 tie) of the matches, while the teams batting first have won 66% (2 out of three).

Scenarios	Matches	Toss Winner Won Match	Toss Loser Won Match	Toss Winner Win %	Is the Toss Important?
Overall IPL History	98	50	48	51.0%	No
Night Matches Only	73	38	35	52.1%	Barely (Extremely marginal edge)
Recent 5 Years (2023–2026)	18	9	9	50.0%	No
Delhi Capitals Winning Toss (2023–2026)	6	1	5	16.7%	No
Visiting Teams Winning Toss (2023–2026)	12	8	4	66.6%	Yes

Who has the advantage?

Unlike the UAE, where winning the toss and chasing first is almost equivalent to winning the match, Delhi does not support the theory. In fact, in the last five years, it has been a 50-50 split between the toss winners and losers. However, considering the depth of Delhi Capitals’ middle order and finishers like Ashutosh Sharma, and the superb record of KL Rahul when he bats first, Delhi Capitals are clear favourites against Chennai Super Kings.

Despite the afternoon rain in Delhi, the pitch is dry, and the sky is clear. That might have played a part in taking the decision to bat first. Since CSK do not have a good record of chasing, DC opted to bat first and force Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co to chase.

Chennai’s strength is also in batting first. The likes of Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad like to set a total and play freely. Under pressure, they haven’t been great. In fact, CSK have won 53% of their matches batting first.

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