Delhi Capitals (DC) are looking at a tricky opponent in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the sixteenth fixture (DC vs KKR) of the 2020 Indian Premier League at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. While Delhi Capitals come to the match at the back of a 15-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata are on a two-match winning streak after beating Rajasthan in their last match, as they sit third in the points table.
KKR have faced DC 24 times so far in IPL with the two-time champions having 13 wins in the DC vs KKRhead-to-head. Delhi Capitals, however, have won three of their last five encounters signalling their comeback in the grand scheme of things.
KEY BATTLE
Eoin Morgan vs Rishabh Pant
With both the teams banking on their batting heavy side to get the job done, Delhi Capitals’ Rishabh Pant and KKR’s Eoin Morgan remain the crucial cogs in their wheel. Batting second or third down according to the situation, both their teams expect the players to keep their wicket and score runs quickly – something which has been the differential in their recent outcomes.
Having come into IPL for the first time since 2017 the England limited-overs captain brings experience and T20 acumen, something Brendon McCullum really appreciates. Like Pant, Morgan has been a utility player who can float into any batting position. Morgan has scored 92 runs in three matches with an average of 92 and it was his late fireworks (34 runs) which had helped KKR put up a competitive score against RR.
Pant, on the other hand, has tallied 96 runs in three matches with an average of 48. His intermittent firework at the aptest situations has been a blessing for Delhi so far, who have a solid batting base in Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer otherwise.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Shubhman Gill
After spending two seasons as an understudy to Chris Lynn for KKR, the 21-year-old has finally come of age to open for the franchise. With some convincing shots and style up his sleeves, the batsman has taken already off this season. Shubhman Gill has scored 124 runs in three games with an average of 62.
Andre Russell
Andre Russell is finally getting heated up for IPL 2020 after a quiet start against Mumbai Indians. A quick-fire 24 off 14 balls against Rajasthan Royals saw the West Indian opening his wings for the first time this season. The pacer had already taken two wickets in KKR’s first two matches and was a fresh option for McCullum had KKR’s bowling strength didn’t work against RR. Russell’s brute strength is a huge bonus for KKR against Delhi as well.
Kagiso Rabada
Delhi have one of the most sought bowlers across all formats and a real purple cap contender for the 2020 IPL in South African wonder boy Kagiso Rabada. The 25-year-old has already taken seven wickets in three matches this season with an economy of 6.25. Though batting opportunities have rarely come his way, the South African has scored 15 runs in the seven balls he faced so far with one boundary and a six to his name.
PREDICTED LINE-UP
DC starting XI: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishab Pant, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma
KKT starting XI: Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik, Eoin Morgan, Andre Russel, Pat Cummins, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti
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