Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings IPL 2025 Recap

Indian Premier LeagueResult

Chennai Super Kings

158/5

M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai · Saturday, 5 April 2025

Delhi Capitals won by 25 runsPlayer of the match: KL Rahul

Match preview

Delhi Capitals down Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs at Chepauk

Match overview

Delhi Capitals beat Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on 5 April 2025. Delhi won the toss, chose to bat, and posted 183/6 across their 20 overs. Chennai never threatened the target in their reply, finishing on 158/5. KL Rahul was named Player of the Match. The result moves Delhi further up the 2025 IPL standings and hands CSK a third defeat in their first five matches of the season, leaving them in a difficult position in the table.

The contest was largely settled in the powerplay. Delhi's openers made it to 51/1 inside the first six overs, well above Chepauk's ground average of 43 powerplay runs across 127 T20 matches. Chennai's response began with exactly the opposite: 46/3 in six overs, with three top-order wickets gone and the required rate already climbing. A 60-run middle phase for just 2 wickets kept CSK in with a chance, but 26 runs were needed off the final over and that proved well beyond reach.

Chepauk's chase success rate sits at 46 per cent historically, making it one of the trickier venues in the IPL to bat second. CSK, despite the familiarity of their home ground, could not overcome the disadvantage of their early collapse.

Venue and conditions

M. A. Chidambaram Stadium is one of the most distinctive venues in T20 cricket. The surface traditionally offers turn and variable bounce, favouring wrist-spinners and off-spinners during the middle overs. Across 127 T20 matches at the ground, the average first-innings score is 192 and the average second-innings score is 177, giving batting-first sides a slight structural edge that the numbers reflect in the 54 per cent win rate for teams batting first.

The powerplay average of 43 runs means Delhi's 51/1 was a meaningful overshoot. CSK's 46/3 was not far off on runs, but the wicket cost changed the match entirely. Chepauk's average death-overs score is 38 runs per innings; Delhi's 45 in that phase was above par, whilst Chennai's 52 in the final five overs came too late to matter given the required rate they were chasing.

Toss has historically had some influence here, with the fielding-first decision being made 41 per cent of the time on this ground. Delhi's decision to bat after winning the toss was consistent with what the majority of captains do at this venue, and the result vindicated it.

How to watch

IPL 2025 is broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Cricket. Live and on-demand streaming is available through Sky Go for existing subscribers, and via a NOW TV day or monthly pass for those without a Sky contract. Match schedules are set in Indian Standard Time, with most fixtures starting between 15:30 IST and 19:30 IST, translating to roughly 10:00 and 14:00 UK time respectively.

Highlights and short-form content are also available through the IPL's official app and website for fans looking to catch up after the fact.

Recent form

Delhi Capitals arrived at Chepauk having won both of their 2025 IPL matches so far, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants. Looking back further, they have won three of their last five completed fixtures across 2024 and 2025, with their only 2024-season defeat in that run coming against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The win here makes it three from three in 2025.

Chennai Super Kings had a more troubled run heading in. They beat Mumbai Indians in their 2025 campaign but lost to both Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Before this match, CSK had won just one of their last four completed fixtures. A home defeat to a Delhi side that leads the head-to-head by only 12 wins to 20 will add pressure, with the next round of fixtures offering little respite against opponents who are also finding form early in the tournament.

Talking points

What to look out for

5 angles

Headline angle

DC's powerplay set the tone at Chepauk

Delhi Capitals reached 51/1 in the powerplay, well above Chepauk's average of 43 runs in the opening six overs. That foundation allowed the middle overs to yield a further 87 runs for just 2 wickets, giving DC a platform that Chennai could never quite match.

Angle 02

CSK's powerplay collapse proved fatal

Chennai Super Kings lost 3 wickets in the powerplay whilst scoring only 46 runs, leaving their middle order to do too much. They recovered well in the death overs, scoring 52 runs without loss across the back end, but the required rate had already moved beyond reach.

Angle 03

183 above Chepauk's first-innings average

The venue's average first-innings score across 127 T20 matches is 192, so DC's 183/6 was competitive without being exceptional. On a ground where the chase success rate sits at just 46 per cent, that proved enough.

Angle 04

KL Rahul named Player of the Match

KL Rahul took the individual award, recognising a decisive contribution to Delhi's innings total. His performance was central to DC posting a score that CSK's lower-order surge in the death overs could not overhaul.

Angle 05

DC close the gap in a lopsided head-to-head

Chennai Super Kings still lead the all-time series 20 wins to 12 across 32 meetings, but this result is Delhi's second win in three completed matches between the sides since 2022. Four of the last five contests have been won by the home side.

Context

Key insights

Historical · Not official

Venue par

192

Avg 1st innings score at Chepauk

127 matches · 2003–2026

Chase success

46%

Chases completed successfully at Chepauk

127 matches · 2003–2026

Head to head

12 — 20

Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings — 32 meetings

2007–2026

Delhi Capitals at venue

31%

Win rate across 13 matches at Chepauk

Chennai Super Kings at venue

66%

Win rate across 79 matches at Chepauk

Powerplay

45/1.3

Average runs/wickets in overs 1–6 at Chepauk

Historical aggregates derived from Cricsheet (cricsheet.org) under ODC-BY licence. 2001/02–2026 IPL seasons. For editorial context only — not official live match data, not a forecast, and not betting advice. Projections and comparisons above are frozen from the live state and may not match final statistics.

The rivalry

Who could decide it

Chennai Super Kings hold a substantial advantage in this fixture, winning 20 of 32 meetings against Delhi Capitals. Delhi have won 12, with no results abandoned. Recent history has favoured the home team regardless of who that is, and CSK's overall record at Chepauk makes their defeat here something of an upset given the broader patterns.

Recent meetings

Last 5

2026: Chennai Super Kings won by 23 runs at Chepauk
2024: Delhi Capitals won by 20 runs at Vizag
2023: Chennai Super Kings won by 77 runs at Arun Jaitley Stadium
2023: Chennai Super Kings won by 27 runs at Chepauk
2022: Chennai Super Kings won by 91 runs at DY Patil Stadium

Key player · Delhi Capitals

KL Rahul

Rahul was named Player of the Match for his contribution to DC's innings total of 183/6. He has been in strong form for Delhi in the 2025 IPL season, with wins over Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants already to DC's name this campaign.

Chennai Super Kings

R Ashwin

Ashwin's record at Chepauk in Test cricket is well documented, and his ability to grip a slow surface makes him a consistent threat in IPL matches here. CSK's bowling attack needed wickets at key moments during DC's innings and Ashwin's role in the middle overs was significant.

Career stats →

Chennai Super Kings

RA Jadeja

Jadeja contributes across all three disciplines and Chepauk is arguably his most productive domestic venue. CSK's inability to restrict DC in the middle overs, where 87 runs came from just 2 wickets, will be an area their coaching staff looks at closely.

Career stats →

Angles to watch

Analytical angles worth tracking

Observations from the venue data, recent form and historical trends. Editorial context, not betting advice.

Top batter markets may have offered value given DC's middle-overs dominance: 87 runs for 2 wickets between overs 7 and 15 is a phase worth examining for player performance lines.
Chepauk's chase success rate of 46 per cent across 127 T20 matches suggests outright first-innings markets tend to carry more weight here than at higher-scoring venues.
CSK's powerplay collapse to 46/3 is the kind of phase-specific outcome that makes powerplay wickets markets worth monitoring for future fixtures at this ground.
With the average second-innings score at Chepauk sitting at 177, any target in the 180s historically shifts the balance firmly toward the batting-first side in markets that account for venue data.

For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.

Questions

Frequently asked

Delhi Capitals won by 25 runs. DC posted 183/6 batting first, and Chennai Super Kings were bowled out for 158/5 in their 20 overs. KL Rahul was named Player of the Match.

Chennai Super Kings led the head-to-head 20 wins to 12 across 32 meetings before this game. CSK had also won the most recent meeting between the sides, by 23 runs at Chepauk, prior to this fixture.

The match was played at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, commonly known as Chepauk. The ground has hosted 127 T20 matches, with an average first-innings score of 192 and a chase success rate of 46 per cent.

IPL 2025 is broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with live streaming available via Sky Go and NOW TV. Matches involving popular fixtures are typically scheduled for early afternoon or evening IST, which translates to morning and early afternoon kick-off times in the UK.

Delhi Capitals scored 51/1 in the powerplay, 87/2 in the middle overs, and 45/3 in the death, finishing on 183/6. Chennai Super Kings replied with 46/3 in the powerplay, 60/2 through the middle, and 52/0 in the death to end on 158/5, falling 25 runs short.

Delhi Capitals were in decent shape entering the fixture, having won their two 2025 IPL matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants. They went into the game with three wins from their last five matches across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

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