The upcoming 9th Match of the Indian Premier League, scheduled for Thursday, will witness a clash between the teams from the north, namely Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals. Sanju Samson would lead the Pink Army while Rishabh Pant would captain the downbeat DC side in an interesting encounter at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium nestled in the heart of Jaipur on Thursday evening.
This fixture marks RR’s second consecutive home game, offering them the advantage of familiar turf, whereas DC finds themselves playing away from home for the second time in a row. Despite a victorious start for the Pink Jersey squad, their counterparts faced defeat in their opening match of the season.
Despite Delhi’s historical struggles at this venue, winning only twice out of six visits, Pant’s brigade is determined to stage a formidable comeback in this crucial fixture, aiming to secure the vital two points.
As for the standings on the points table, the Royals currently reign atop the table, while the Capitals are at the third position from the bottom in the league standings.
What has happened so far?
The Samson-led side commenced their tournament journey with an opening game against the Lucknow Supergiants on Sunday afternoon in Jaipur. Winning the toss, RR opted to bat first and set the tone with a challenging total of 193 runs, bolstered by Sanju’s 82-run innings, complemented by an impactful cameo from Riyan Parag.
During the defence of their total, RR seized control early by claiming three wickets within the first powerplay, effectively dashing the hopes of LSG’s chase. As the visitors required 38 runs off the final two overs, Sandeep Sharma delivered a masterful penultimate over, extinguishing any lingering hopes of a comeback.
Meanwhile, Delhi embarked on a journey to Chandigarh to take on the Punjab Kings on Saturday, marked by Rishabh Pant’s eagerly anticipated return to action after a gruelling 14-month rehabilitation period. However, Pant’s comeback failed to live up to its billing as his team could only muster a total of 175 runs.
Despite early breakthroughs that saw both Punjab openers dismissed within the first powerplay, the Capitals faltered in their quest for victory as PBKS comfortably chased down the target with ease.
Head to Head Record
Both teams have performed equally well against each other since the tournament’s inaugural season. The head-to-head record between these sides shows that out of the 27 matches contested, the Rajasthan-based franchise has emerged victorious 14 times, while DC is closely behind with 13 wins.
In their most recent encounters, Delhi Capitals have demonstrated a surge in performance, clinching victory in 7 out of the last 11 games between the two sides.
Key Players
Trent Boult is auditioning for a place in the New Zealand squad for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup
Trent Boult (Rajasthan Royals): Trent Boult has mastered the art of striking early in the innings, a habit that has seen him secure an impressive 22 wickets in the opening over of an innings since IPL 2020, surpassing all other bowlers. His closest competitors, Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, trail behind with 8 wickets each.
In the season opener against LSG, Boult not only surpassed Ashish Nehra to claim the title of the left-handed pacer with the highest number of IPL wickets but also cemented his place as the third-highest left-handed wicket-taker bowler in IPL history. Across 89 matches, the Kiwi pacer has scalped an impressive tally of 107 wickets, boasting an average of 26.3.
David Warner (Delhi Capitals): David Warner poses a significant threat to the home team with his powerful hitting. Despite a brief stint in the previous match, he showed solidity by scoring 29 runs off 21 balls, including 3 fours and 2 maximums.
Notably, the opening batter currently holds the title of the highest overseas run-scorer and ranks third overall in the IPL’s top run-getters list. What sets Warner apart is his remarkable consistency, making him only the second player, after KL Rahul, to maintain an average above 40 among the players with a minimum tally of 1000 runs in the cash-rich league.
Team News from Both Camps
As of the current moment, the Pink Jersey squad is fortunate to have no injury concerns within their ranks, and the team’s synergy appears robust, with nearly every player executing their role effectively.
However, a setback looms for the Ponting-coached side as veteran pacer Ishant Sharma suffered a right ankle injury during the match against Punjab Kings placing him on the brink of being ruled out of the tournament.
Despite this, there is some relief as Anrich Nortje has joined the squad but the upcoming match might come too soon for the Proteas pacer preparing to be fully fit for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.
Predicted XIs
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson © (wk), Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sandeep Sharma, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal
Delhi Capitals: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant © (wk), Yash Dhull, Axar Patel, Abhishek Porel, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar
Prediction
Factoring in current form, the Royals, playing at their home ground, emerge as the favorites to secure victory and maintain their position atop the table.
Nonetheless, DC boasts a formidable lineup including Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Pant, suggesting their potential to stage a comeback in the tournament. If successful, they could become the first team of IPL 2024 to secure a win away from home.