The Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals are prepared to face Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Shreyas Iyer, in the 16th Match of the Indian Premier League on Wednesday at Visakhapatnam, the temporary home venue for DC.
This will be the second and final match to be played at Vizag this season, as the rest of DC’s home matches will be at their original home ground, Arun Jaitley Stadium. However, before they depart from the port city, the home side will strive to secure two points against the formidable lineup of KKR.
Knight Riders, under the mentorship of Gautam Gambhir, have been impressive, currently holding the top position on the points table with 2 wins in 2 matches. Meanwhile, DC has risen to the seventh position in the league standings with the win against the Super Kings in Vizag.
What has happened so far?
In the initial matches of IPL 2024, DC commenced their campaign with a string of challenges, succumbing to two consecutive defeats. Their encounter against their neighbours, Punjab Kings resulted in a gripping Northern derby where the hosts clinched victory by 4 wickets.
Similarly, in their subsequent match against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, the Capitals showcased promise with the ball initially but faltered as the game progressed, ultimately falling short by 12 runs in their pursuit of the 186-run target.
However, they redeemed themselves in their latest showdown against Chennai Super Kings, as they delivered a resounding comeback, securing their first win of the season by a convincing margin of 20 runs, after setting a target of 192 runs in the first innings.
In contrast, KKR embarked on a stellar journey, remaining unbeaten thus far in the tournament. Their campaign commenced with a thrilling season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens, where they emerged victorious in a nail-biting last-ball encounter, clinching a narrow 4-run win.
In their recent match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kolkata continued their impressive form, delivering a commanding performance to secure a thumping 7-wicket triumph.
Head to Head Record
The upcoming match marks the 33rd clash between DC and KKR, with the Knights holding a slender lead in their past encounters. Out of the previous 32 matches, one resulted in a draw, while KKR emerged victorious 16 times, leaving the Capitals trailing with 15 wins.
Key Players
David Warner (Delhi Capitals): DC opener David Warner continues to unleash his power-hitting prowess, consistently sending balls soaring out of the park. In the match against Rajasthan Royals, Warner fell just short of his fifty by a solitary run.
However, he compensated for it in the encounter against CSK where his 62nd IPL half-century, achieved in 32 balls, played a pivotal role in guiding DC to a good total.
David Warner now holds the record for the joint-most fifties in T20 cricket history, alongside Chris Gayle
Warner currently stands as the fourth leading run-scorer in the ongoing tournament, amassing 130 runs in just 3 innings at an average of 43.33. Remarkably, Warner has notched up more than 25 runs in every innings, maintaining a strike rate of over 138.
Harshit Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders): Emerging as a standout performer for KKR this season, Harshit Rana has grabbed the spotlight with his aggressive pace bowling. The young speedster has made an immediate impact, snaring 5 crucial wickets in just 2 matches at an average of 14.40.
In KKR’s inaugural match, with Hyderabad requiring 13 runs off the final over to secure victory, Rana displayed nerves of steel as he successfully defended the target, despite conceding six runs off the first ball of the over, ultimately claiming 3 wickets in the match. In the encounter against Bangalore, the lethal pacer scalped 2 crucial wickets while conceding 39 runs.
Team News from Both Camps
The Ponting-coached DC received a significant boost as veteran pacer Ishant Sharma, who sustained an ankle injury in the first match of the tournament against Punjab, made a triumphant return to the playing XI in their last match at Vizag.
However, Kuldeep Yadav was sidelined for the match against CSK due to a niggle and the left-handed spinner will likely make a comeback in the upcoming match.
Conversely, the Knight Riders enter the fixture without any injury concerns, but the underwhelming form of Mitchell Starc, for whom they splurged INR 24.75 crores in the auction, raises concerns. The left-handed pacer has bowled 8 overs so far, conceding 100 runs without managing to secure a single wicket.
Predicted XIs
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant © (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Axar Patel, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed
Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer ©, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Prediction
KKR, the sole team in IPL 2024 to secure an away victory, appears to have a stronger and more commanding presence compared to the Capitals. However, the addition of Prithvi Shaw to DC’s playing XI has provided them with the much-needed stability that was absent in their initial two matches.