With Rishabh Pant suspended, Axar Patel takes charge for Delhi Capitals in this pivotal match.
Overview
RCB has clinched victories in their last four matches, while Delhi Capitals (DC) has secured wins in three of their last five. Their key players have consistently performed well in recent weeks. However, despite this surge, it might be too late in the season for both teams to make a significant impact. While they remain in contention for the playoffs, their fate is not entirely in their hands.
Both teams still have the opportunity to influence their destiny. This will be the focus as RCB and DC gear up for their first encounter of the season at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday night. DC holds a slight advantage over RCB at this point, having accumulated two extra points from the same number of games. However, RCB’s current impressive form, coupled with enthusiastic home support, positions them as formidable opponents. Additionally, DC faces the challenge of playing without their captain and key player, Rishabh Pant.
Team Updates and Key Players Strategy
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has been flexible with their choice of the fourth overseas player, alternating between Glenn Maxwell and Lockie Ferguson based on conditions and opponents. Maxwell’s impressive record against Kuldeep Yadav might incline RCB to field him in this match, considering the impact Kuldeep has on DC’s bowling attack. Alternatively, if Ferguson gets the nod, Mahipal Lomror could replace Vijaykumar Vyshak in the lineup.
Probable Playing XII:
- Virat Kohli
- Faf du Plessis (capt)
- Will Jacks
- Rajat Patidar
- Glenn Maxwell
- Cameron Green
- Dinesh Karthik (wk)
- Swapnil Singh
- Karn Sharma
- Mohammed Siraj
- Vijaykumar Vyshak / Yash Dayal
Delhi Capitals (DC) With Rishabh Pant absent, Axar Patel will lead the team as confirmed by coach Ricky Ponting. Ponting also hinted at the possible return of David Warner from injury, suggesting a tailored bowling selection to challenge RCB’s strong top order. This could see the inclusion of Jhye Richardson as a new-ball specialist.
The replacement for Pant in the batting lineup remains uncertain. While Prithvi Shaw is an option, Ponting’s preference for Abishek Porel to continue opening might lead DC to opt for a middle-order batter like Yash Dhull or Kumar Kushagra.
Probable Playing XII:
- Jake Fraser-McGurk
- Abishek Porel (wk)
- David Warner / Shai Hope
- Yash Dhull / Kumar Kushagra
- Tristan Stubbs
- Axar Patel
- Lalit Yadav / Sumit Kumar
- Rasikh Salam
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mukesh Kumar
- Jhye Richardson
- Khaleel Ahmed
Recent Track Record
Royal Challengers Bengaluru [RCB] :[ W , W , W , W , L]
Delhi Capitals [DC] :[ W , L , W , W , L]
In the limelight
As the season reaches its 12-game mark, Delhi Capitals (DC) boast the spin attack with the best collective average (24.88) among all teams and the fourth-best economy rate (8.18). However, they face a formidable challenge in the middle overs from Rajat Patidar, who holds the second-best strike rate against spin (229.85) among batters who have scored at least 100 runs against spin bowling this season. With Virat Kohli also exhibiting increased intent and versatility against spin in recent matches, we anticipate an exciting battle during the middle overs.
RCB has opted for a spinner to open the bowling in their last four matches, alternating between left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh and offspinner Will Jacks based on the opposition’s opening pair. It remains to be seen if they employ this strategy against DC, who may present a left-right combination at the top if either Warner or Porel partners Jake Fraser-McGurk. Fraser-McGurk, regardless of the bowler, aims to attack aggressively. His strike rate of 255.20 in the powerplay this season, including 244.57 against pace and an astonishing 323.07 against spin, underscores his attacking prowess.
Pitch Conditions and Statistics
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium is renowned for high-scoring matches, evident from the record IPL total and the highest run aggregate in any T20 game produced here. However, in the current season, there haven’t been any 200-plus totals in the other four matches held at the venue. The recent match saw assistance for the new ball, with RCB bowling out Gujarat Titans for 147 runs. It remains to be seen if similar conditions on Sunday night will favor fast bowlers.
Important Stats:
- In 11 T20 matches, Kohli has been dismissed by Axar Patel only once, but he has managed only 78 runs off 71 balls against the left-arm spinner. However, recent matches suggest that Kohli might adopt a different approach against Axar, possibly using shots like the sweep and slog-sweep more frequently.
- In IPL 2024, Tristan Stubbs (187 runs at a S.Rate of 296.82) and Dinesh Karthik (180 runs at a S.Rate of 233.76) have emerged as the most prolific run-scorers in the death overs (17-20).
- Dinesh Karthik has found success against Khaleel Ahmed, scoring 28 runs off 14 balls against the left-arm quick while being dismissed only once.
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