In a pivotal IPL encounter, the Delhi Capitals are set to take on the formidable Rajasthan Royals in what promises to be a thrilling match this Tuesday. With the playoffs just around the corner, the Capitals find themselves in a dire need to win. Their campaign has been marked by fluctuating fortunes, capturing five wins against six losses from their 11 matches thus far. The team, led by Rishabh Pant, must secure victories in all of their remaining three matches to reach a total of 16 points, a score that still hangs in the balance of qualifying them for the playoffs.
The playoff race is tightly packed this season. Alongside the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, who both have accumulated 16 points, teams like Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Lucknow Super Giants are also potential candidates to surpass the 16-point threshold. In these competitive circumstances, DC’s optimal performance might still fall short. Pant, drawing inspiration from his mentor Mahendra Singh Dhoni, is focusing on what he can influence directly under the mantra of "control the controllables."
The venue for the upcoming game, the Arun Jaitley Stadium, is known for its batter-friendly pitch, which presents its own set of challenges. The Delhi captain will rely on his bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma, and Kuldeep Yadav to contain formidable Rajasthan batters such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Riyan Parag, especially given the shorter 60-metre boundary on one side of the field.
Amid this intense pressure, Pant, who has amassed 380 runs including three significant half-centuries this season, is expected to lead from the front. Additionally, the team will hope for a resurgence in form from the Australian newcomer Jake Fraser-McGurk, despite his recent drop in performance.
Facing Rajasthan’s bowling line-up will be a formidable challenge for the Delhi batters at the Kotla, especially against the likes of veteran spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, and the crafty pace variations of Sandeep Sharma. While Delhi’s Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav have managed respectable economy rates, the consistency from other bowlers like Khaleel and Mukesh Kumar will be crucial. The South African duo of Lizaad Williams and Anrich Nortje in particular, need to step up their game if they get another opportunity this season.
The last face-off between these two teams this season saw Delhi faltering in the latter half of their bowling innings, with Riyan playing an exceptional knock in Jaipur. Given the flat nature of the Kotla pitch, the Royals' lineup, which includes power hitters like Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmyer, looks menacing. The DC bowlers might be anxious about a repeat of the disastrous performance, hoping to avoid what could be a second nightmare for them on their home turf.
Team News
The Delhi Capitals might get a big boost in the form of David Warner and Ishant Sharma. The two have missed several games already due to injury, and after DC's loss in the most recent match against KKR, their return will add firepower to both their batting and bowling departments.
For RR, despite the close 1-run loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous outing, they are likely to stay unchanged for this contest.
Head-to-head record
The two teams have faced each other 28 times, with Delhi Capitals winning 13 of those, while Rajasthan hold the edge with 15 wins.
Weather Report
The temperature in the national capital has already gone past the 40°C mark. So, expect another hot day, there's a 10% chance of rain but that probably won't have a say in the outcome of the match.
Probable XIs
DC Probable XI: David Warner, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Prithvi Shaw, Abishek Porel, Rishabh Pant (wk/c), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed
RR Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (wk/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Sharma
Full squads:
Delhi Capitals: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant (wk/c), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Kumar Kushagra, Kuldeep Yadav, Lizaad Williams, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Rasikh Dar Salam, Praveen Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Ricky Bhui, Sumit Kumar, Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, Lalit Yadav, David Warner, Yash Dhull, Swastik Chikara, Jhye Richardson, Ishant Sharma, Gulbadin Naib
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (wk/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Sharma, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Shubham Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Navdeep Saini, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Kuldeep Sen, Donovan Ferreira, Abid Mushtaq, Kunal Singh Rathore
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(With PTI inputs)
