Visakhapatnam, Apr 2 (UNI) The match between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) here on Wednesday promises to be intense and competitive as both teams have different objectives.
DC aims to prove their strength and capabilities beyond their previous victory against Chennai Super Kings, while KKR seeks to secure their third consecutive win to strengthen their position in the tournament standings.
To achieve their objective, Delhi Capitals will need to replicate their performance against KKR, which was successful in overpowering the RCB bowlers in their previous match on March 29. Prithvi Shaw and David Warner are crucial for DC to provide a solid start at the top of the batting order.
Rishabh Pant's return to form, with his recent half-century after a couple of shaky innings, signals a positive turn for him and the team.
Additionally, South African Tristan Stubbs and Australian Mitchell Marsh are capable of making significant contributions, particularly in the latter stages of the innings.
Consistent performances from these players is expected to bolster the Delhi Capitals' batting lineup, especially considering their perceived lack of domestic power hitters.
Delhi Capitals have some concerns heading into their match against KKR. Mitchell Marsh is noted for his yet-to-be-seen power-hitting potential, but he has not delivered in this season so far.
Anrich Nortje also has struggled to find his rhythm following a long injury layoff, adding pressure on DC's Indian pace unit to perform well against a strong KKR. The Indian pacers will be eyeing to step up and compensate for Nortje's form.
Furthermore, Khaleel Ahmed's bowling performance has been commendable, but he has let his team down with his fielding, particularly his difficulty in taking aerial catches.
For Delhi Capitals, Mukesh Kumar is noted for lacking pace while Ishant Sharma is a seasoned campaigner capable of posing challenging questions to the opposition batsmen.
Meanwhile, KKR made a strong start to the season with two wins from two games. The performances of key players like opener Phil Salt, all-rounder Andre Russell, and Venkatesh Iyer are in good form and are expected to pose a significant challenge for DC's pace attack.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer finding form with the bat also adds to KKR's batting depth. However, concerns remain over the performance of Mitchell Starc and Varun Chakravarthy, who have conceded runs in their outings despite being important players for the team.
The Teams (From):
Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c), David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Yash Dhull, Abishek Porel, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Pravin Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Swastik Chikara and Shai Hope.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), KS Bharat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Match starts at 7.30pm IST.
UNI BDN AKS