Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants are in pursuit of securing their playoff berths in the ongoing Indian Premier League campaign as they prepare to clash in the 64th game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
LSG find themselves in seventh place, whereas DC occupies the sixth position on the points table with both sides aiming to make it to the playoffs at the expense of teams sitting above them in the league standings currently.
What has happened so far?
Delhi Capitals encountered a major setback during their league outing at M Chinnaswamy Stadium against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, succumbing to a defeat by 47 runs.
Despite the early setbacks, Axar Patel and Shai Hope showcased resilience in an attempt to salvage the game for DC. Nevertheless, the RCB bowlers maintained their composure under pressure, ultimately sealing the victory with the dismissal of Axar, who had scored a valiant 57 runs, in the 16th over. This loss dealt a significant blow to their qualification chances in the tournament.
In the previous game, Lucknow Super Giants opted to bat first after winning the toss. However, their openers struggled to make significant contributions, and the team faced difficulties in building a substantial score during both the powerplay and middle overs. LSG’s batting failed to get going until Ayush Badoni and Pooran showed resilience to challenge the opposition.
In the second innings, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma took charge, both scoring half-centuries with a strike rate exceeding 265, leading their team to victory with ten wickets in hand and more than half of the innings remaining.
The match gained attention not just for the on-field performance but also for off-field incidents, notably involving the dissatisfaction of the LSG owner with KL Rahul.
Head to Head Record
Lucknow Super Giants have faced Delhi Capitals four times since the inception of the team in the league. LSG has been dominant in these encounters, securing three wins while DC has managed just one victory.
In their most recent match-up, the Lucknow-based franchise posted a total of 167 runs while batting first and Delhi Capitals chased down the target with 11 balls to spare, securing a six-wicket victory.
Key Players
Jake Fraser-McGurk played a cameo of 23 runs off 8 balls in the last game against RCB
Jake Fraser-McGurk (Delhi Capitals): The swashbuckling batter has been in sensational form throughout the tournament. Despite being run out in an unfortunate manner against RCB, the Australian has already amassed an impressive total of 330 runs from eight innings. Filling in the absence of David Warner, Jake Fraser-McGurk has exhibited consistency, averaging 41.25 with a remarkable strike rate of 237.41.
The young starlet was ignored from Australia’s plans for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup but the batter could still make an entry into the Kangaroos’ squad as all teams are allowed one change in the squad if they enforce the option before 25th May.
Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants): In an IPL season filled with ups and downs for LSG, one player has emerged as the backbone of their middle order. Despite facing inconsistency in previous IPL seasons, Nicholas Pooran has showcased remarkable form this year.
He has already surpassed his previous records, accumulating 363 runs from 12 games with an impressive strike rate of 162.05. In the recent match, Pooran’s quickfire innings of 48 runs from 26 deliveries played a crucial role in helping the team post a respectable total in Hyderabad.
Team News from Both Camps
The Capitals would welcome their skipper Rishabh Pant back into the fray for their last game of the league season as the wicket-keeper batter missed the encounter against RCB due to a one-match suspension levied by the Board Cricket Contol for India due to slow over rates.
On the other hand, KL Rahul is not expected to be in the best frame of mind but the Karnataka-born batter would be aiming to quash the doubters away with a crucial innings against DC on Tuesday.
Predicted XIs
Delhi Capitals: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Shai Hope, Tristan Stubbs, Rishabh Pant ©, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Rasikh Salam Dar, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar
Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul © (wk), Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, K Gowtham, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen Ul Haq
Prediction
Lucknow Super Giants have a clear opportunity to secure qualification if they emerge victorious in their next two games. Conversely, Delhi Capitals not only need to win but also require a substantial victory margin to keep their qualifying hopes alive.
With both teams facing high stakes, the upcoming match promises to be closely contested, with LSG aiming to avenge their previous defeat and DC striving to maintain their playoff aspirations.