1. Team News - Delhi Capitals
This will be a test for young Rishabh Pant, who has been entrusted with the captain's arm band in the absence of Shreyas Iyer, who has been ruled out of IPL 2021 with a shoulder injury. Pant will have a brilliant and experienced side to lead in the IPL 2021 and they have power to ease past most opponents on any given day. They had reached the IPL 2020 final and would want to go a step further this year and a good start in the tournament will go a long way in achieving that goal. Can cope with the triple duty of wicketkeeping, captaining and being the batting fulcrum of the Capitals? The answer to that question will go a long way in determining their fortune in IPL 2021. South African duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje will not be available for the first match because they will be in quarantine having joined the team on Wednesday after the second ODI against Pakistan.
2. Team News - Chennai Super Kings
Under Dhoni, their first aim will be to reach the play-offs, something they had failed to achieve in IPL 2020. They had lost Australian pacer Josh Hazelwood's services ahead of IPL 2021 but had signed another Aussie Jason Behrendorff and the lanky pacer can be a big threat with the new ball. As it has been their wont in the past, the CSK will be banking on the veterans to pull off another bull run in the IPL. Suresh Raina is back in the fold after skipping the IPL 2020.
3. Playing 11
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Steve Smith, Rishabh Pant (Captain, WK), Lalit Yadav, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Tom Curran.
Chennai Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (Captain, WK), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, K Gowtham, Shardul Thakur.
4. Dream11 Prediction
Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni, Marcus Stoinis, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur.