Delhi capital star played KL Rahul delivered a stellar performance against CSK at chepauk stadium, smashing his 38th half century and making a bold statement in his new role as a opener for a franchise. This match marks the fresh start for Rahul who opened the inning for DC for the first time. Tough not new to opening in the IPL, this was his first time for SC and he didn't disappoint. Rahul scored 50 in just 30 balls featuring 2 boundaries and 3 sixes, eventually scoring 77 off 51 deliveries at a strike rate of 150.98, including 6 fours and 3 sixes. KL Rahul wife Athiya Shetty who welcomed baby girl in last week cheered him from home.
Though Athiya Shetty couldn't attend the match in person due to her recent delivery, she made headlines by sharing a heartwarming Insta story. She posted a picture of Rahul celebrating his half-century, captioned with a love emoji, which quickly gained attention online. Fans are buzzing about the power couple, celebrating both Rahul's on-field brilliance and the couple's new chapter off the field.
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Delhi Capitals won the toss and chose to bat first. CSK made two changes. Devon Conway replaced Jamie Overton, while Mukesh Choudhary came in for Rahul Tripathi. Delhi Capitals also made a change as Sameer Rizvi replaced Faf du Plessis due to fitness concerns. At the toss, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said he also wanted to bat first and noted that the pitch looked dry. "We were looking to bat as well. Looks a bit dry. It's a bit cloudy, won't change much. You always want momentum in T20 cricket. Overall, the chat has been positive. Fielding is something which we can improve day by day. We want to be proactive. Elbow is good. Conway comes in for Overton. Mukesh comes in from Tripathi," he said.
Axar Patel said he expects the pitch to slow down as the match progresses and believes the presence of experienced leaders in the team will help in decision-making. "We are going to bat first. Feels like there'll be help for the bowlers. Expect it to get slower as the game progresses. In our team, we have a few players who have captained other franchises and that helps me a lot. Same combination. Faf is not fit for this game, Sameer Rizvi is playing," DC skipper said.
