IPL 2026: Lungi Ngidi comes back as DC opt to bat first vs CSK - check full playing XI
NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel on Tuesday won the toss and opted to bat first vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their IPL match at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium. In a big boost for DC bowling, South African pacer Lungi Ngidi came back into the side after missing few matches due to head injury that he had suffered during a home match against Punjab Kings on April 25. On the other hand, CSK brought in Akeal Hosein and Gurjapneet Singh to rejig their combination due to the injury to Ramakrishna Ghosh.
" "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," Axar Patel said at the toss. While CSK skipper 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.