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The Delhi Capitals host the Chennai Super Kings in match 48 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on May 5, Tuesday. With both teams currently locked at 8 points from 9 matches, tonight’s encounter could serve as a playoff eliminator; the winner will leap into the top half of the table, while the loser faces a nearly impossible path to the knockouts. However, as the teams arrive under the Delhi lights, one burning question remains alive: will fans finally see MS Dhoni take the field, and what is the status of Lungi Ngidi and Ramakrishna Ghosh?
MS Dhoni – Not Playing Today
The long wait for “Thala” fans continues as MS Dhoni has officially been ruled out of tonight’s match against the Delhi Capitals. Reports from the CSK camp confirm that the legendary wicketkeeper did not travel with the squad to Delhi and remains in Chennai to continue his rehabilitation. Dhoni has been battling a persistent calf injury since the pre-season, which has kept him sidelined for all ten matches of the 2026 season so far. While batting coach Michael Hussey noted that Dhoni has been “upping his running speeds” in the nets, he is not yet 100% match-ready.
Lungi Ngidi – Available for Selection
In a major boost for the home side, Delhi Capitals bowling coach Munaf Patel confirmed that Lungi Ngidi is 100% fit and available. The South African speedster had a scary fall on April 25 while attempting a catch, resulting in a concussion and a neck injury that required hospitalization. After completing the mandatory six-day concussion protocol and passing all fitness tests, Ngidi is expected to return to the starting XI tonight. His presence alongside Mitchell Starc gives DC a formidable pace attack to challenge the CSK openers.
Ramakrishna Ghosh – Not Playing As Ruled Out for the Season
Chennai’s injury crisis has deepened with the news that all-rounder Ramakrishna Ghosh is out for the remainder of IPL 2026. Ghosh sustained a serious fracture to his right foot during his debut match against the Mumbai Indians on May 2. This is a massive blow for the defending champions, who are already grappling with the absence of Ayush Mhatre (hamstring) and Khaleel Ahmed (quadriceps tear). CSK will likely have to look toward their bench strength, possibly giving Gurjapneet Singh or Mukesh Choudhary a longer run in the side.
DC vs CSK Playing XIs:
Delhi Capitals: KL Rahul (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel/Vipraj Nigam, Axar Patel (C), Ashutosh Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh/Akash Madhwal
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