In the absence of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina will lead Chennai against Delhi and he is confident to do well.

New Chennai captain Suresh Raina seems to be pretty comfortable with his new role. "It is a huge opportunity," he said on the eve of the match with Delhi.

"It's a big stage and a huge opportunity for me and great exposure. If you see our dressing room, we have lots of experience in Hayden, Kemp and other players, so we should be doing fine."

Asked how much the team would miss Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Raina replied. "He will be missed, definitely. But anyone who puts in 100% in every game always runs the risk of injuries, so that can't be helped. But then, this is a team game and we don't depend on one player."

The left-hander doesn't think the added pressure of captaincy will affect his batting. "I will play the way I do. I always try to be aggressive and will continue to do so even now."

Raina thinks the track at Ferozshah Kotla may assist the spinners. "I think the slow bowlers will be effective here. Delhi also have a lot of experience in their dressing room and ultimately the team that plays positively will win the day."

Raina also added that Parthiv Patel would take over behind the stumps from Dhoni and would also open the batting with Matthew Hayden.

Meanwhile, Delhi's bubble has burst, as they two-match winning sequence has been broken decisively. That leaves new captain Dinesh Karthik and coach Eric Simmons with many headaches that have developed overnight, literally.

"We have had long discussions on this," Simmons said, referring to the change in combination following Gautam Gambhir's absence. "We have a few alternatives and of course we would like to get it right."

Asked about what sort of strategy would the Delhi team adopt to counter the revers, Simmons said: "Strategy in 20-20 is something that look good when in comes off and equally bad when it backfires. We have to consider points A, B and C, but ultimately the best strategy is the one that suits you.

"You cannot plan strategy for each game. We have to focus on our strengths and do what we do best."

The coach also said that the plan to play two leg-spinners would be looked at and considered, keeping in mind the number of left-handers in the Chennai team.

Asked if the spate of injures incurred by many players would affect the preparations for the World Cup, Simmons said: "The tournament is a very important event on the international cricket programme. Also, its not that the injuries don't happen otherwise. Only that because it happens during a tournament of this profile, it comes into notice."