Preview by Ghcalive Staff
Following a demoralising loss four days prior at the Chinnaswamy, David Warner said Delhi Capitals needed to take a “hard look” at themselves. After five losses in a row, the team will be hoping that the break would provide the much-needed mental rest. Only one IPL team has ever overcome such a horrible beginning to win the championship. Going all the way is a pipe dream for DC right now; they need to score the first points.
And how effectively their batting gels and puts in a concerted effort will determine if they succeed in that endeavour. Rishabh Pant’s absence has been felt by DC, but the batting unit should have performed better in a few of their defeats even without him. Warner has acknowledged that despite being in the running, timing has been a problem. Due to this and Prithvi Shaw’s shaky start to the season, DC has battled to catch up after having stuttering starts in every game. A top-order resurrection is the only thing that might potentially change their horrible circumstances and form.
This season, KKR’s situation is a little less horrific. The four points on the board were earned by two instances of individual brilliance, one each from Shardul Thakur and Rinku Singh. Apart from that, they haven’t really stood out as a team and even lost the game when Venkatesh Iyer got a century. Only two points separate the four teams above them, and KKR has the benefit of outperforming them all in terms of Net Run Rate. If Nitish Rana’s team can work together instead of relying just on individual talent, they will be able to find the path to success.
When: April 20, 2023 @ 7:30 PM IST, Delhi Capitals vs. Kolkata Knight Riders
Where: New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium
Pitch Report: DC vs. KKR
The slower bowlers had a lot of help in the previous game played here. Given the slow nature of the surface and the potential for dew to hinder the bowlers in the second innings, the team winning the toss in Delhi would be tempted to bat first.
What to anticipate: What to expect: A chaser’s delight, as the venue has traditionally been. The surfaces in the two games at the venue have been a bit sticky and had something for the bowlers but eased out as the game progressed. In both those games, DC batter first, struggled, posted par totals (163 and 172) and failed to defend them. Warner will hope the change in fortunes for his team begins at the flip of the coin.
Head to head: Delhi Capitals have won 14 of the 31 games played between the two clubs, while Kolkata Knight Riders have triumphed 16 times, with one match resulting in a tie.
Team News
Delhi Capitals
Matchups & Tactics: Although David Warner has 228 runs this season, his strike rate is at 116.92. But given that he strikes out at 144.62 against Umesh Yadav, 153.04 against Sunil Narine, and 218.18 against Andre Russell, this may be a match where he tries to improve that pretty unattractive number. However, in 65 balls, Umesh has dismissed him five times.
Probable XI: Prithvi Shaw, David Warner (c), Mitchell Marsh, Yash Dhull, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Abhishek Porel (wk), Lalit Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Mustafizur Rahman
Kolkata Knight Riders
Matchups & Tactics: Rashid Khan and Piyush Chawla, two opposing wrist spinners, have decimated the Delhi Capitals batting order at this location in order to set their sides up for victories, thus Suyash Sharma will be licking his lips to bowl there. Additionally, Prithvi Shaw matches up well against Umesh, the PowerPlay option for KKR, who struck him out twice in 16 balls.
Probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz/Jason Roy, N Jagadeesan, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Varun CV, Suyash Sharma
Have you heard:
With a strike rate of 145.64, David Warner has scored 1018 runs in 26 innings against KKR. They have faced Warner’s four IPL hundreds twice.
Kuldeep Yadav has been his former team’s nemesis, picking up eight wickets in just two matches against them.
Check Here:-Who will prevail in the IPL game between Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 28th Match
