Defeat not an possibility for struggling Capitals and Kings

May 17, 2023 at 4:30 AM

Big Picture – Kings and Capitals in must-win territory

With 5 wins and 6 losses in 11 outings, Punjab Kings have seen extra downs than ups to date in IPL 2023 and are presently eighth on the factors desk. But such is the mid-table logjam {that a} win of their subsequent outing might probably catapult them to fifth. Their web run fee, nevertheless, is -0.441, the third-worst within the league, so that they want huge wins of their remaining video games to have a real likelihood of constructing the playoffs.

First up, they should get previous Delhi Capitals, who’re languishing on the backside of the factors desk and have their playoffs possibilities hanging by a thread. Capitals are on eight factors from 11 video games, and to make it to the highest 4, they not solely must win all their remaining video games however may even require different outcomes to go their method. A loss will convey the curtains down on their IPL 2023 marketing campaign.

The two groups are but to face off this season, and there’s not a lot to separate between them so far as the head-to-head record goes. They have met 30 occasions within the IPL and have gained 15 video games every. Capitals have, nevertheless, gained the last four encounters between these sides.

Kings have been higher travellers this yr, having gained 4 of their six away or impartial video games, and can hope for this development to proceed. They would possibly wish to kind out their prime order, although. While Shikhar Dhawan, who returns to his dwelling floor, the place he has a stellar IPL record, has proven consistency, his opening associate Prabhsimran Singh has blown cold and hot. They additionally wouldn’t have a settled batter at No.3. Kings introduced again Bhanuka Rajapaksa for his or her final recreation, however he didn’t make a lot of an influence. Their center order has shouldered many of the run-scoring accountability this season, however in Delhi, the place the pitches have been among the many slowest-scoring within the match, Kings will need their prime three to fireside.

Capitals return dwelling after a loss in Chennai. They bounced again effectively after 5 successive losses to start out their match however have didn’t put up a collective show or, for that matter, a settled group. The two spinners, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, have been their solely shining lights this season, and Capitals will hope they’ll tie up Kings’ power-packed center order.

Teams batting second have gained 4 of the 5 video games this yr in Delhi, so the toss could possibly be an element.

Team news – Kagiso Rabada for Sam Curran?

Capitals have recently picked 4 abroad top-order batters – of whom Mitchell Marsh provides a bowling possibility – and fielded an all-Indian bowling assault. Batting was Capitals’ weaker entrance by the primary half of the season, and with David Warner, Phil Salt, Marsh and Rilee Rossouw doing effectively, they’re going to seemingly follow that abroad mixture, particularly with Anrich Nortje having travelled again to South Africa for private causes.

Kings wouldn’t have any harm issues, however Sam Curran’s type with the ball is likely to be a problem. He has gone in extra of 11 runs an over within the final 5 video games and has solely picked up seven wickets in 11 outings, with an general financial system fee of 10.28. Kings might contemplate bringing in Kagiso Rabada for Curran to beef up the bowling assault, although that may compromise their batting depth. They may additionally get Matthew Short in for Rajapaksa at No. 3.

Form Guide

Delhi Capitals: LWWLW (final 5 matches, most up-to-date first)
Punjab Kings: LLWLW

Impact Player Strategy

Delhi Capitals
Manish Pandey and Khaleel Ahmed are prone to stay Capitals’ batting and bowling Impact Subs, respectively.

Probable XII: 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Rilee Rossouw, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Aman Hakim Khan, 8 Lalit Yadav, 9 Ripal Patel, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Ishant Sharma, 12 Khaleel Ahmed

Punjab Kings
Kings went with three abroad gamers of their beginning XI of their final recreation, with Nathan Ellis coming in for Rajapaksa within the second innings. They might retain an analogous sample within the subsequent recreation. If not, it’s seemingly Prabhsimran Singh swaps with a bowler, as has been the case for many of their video games this season.

Probable XII: 1 Prabhsimran Singh, 2 Shikhar Dhawan (capt), 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa/Matthew Short, 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 M Shahrukh Khan, 7 Harpreet Brar, 8 Rishi Dhawan, 9 Sam Curran/Kagiso Rabada, 10 Rahul Chahar, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Nathan Ellis

Numbers that matter

Warner has fallen to Rabada five times in 14 T20 innings however has a strike fee of 149 towards him.
The Capitals captain enjoys batting towards Rahul Chahar. He has hit him for 61 runs in 34 balls and has a strike fee of 179.41.
Dhawan has fallen to Kuldeep twice in six innings and strikes at solely 91.89 towards him.
Rossouw has fallen to Arshdeep Singh three times in three T20 innings and is but to attain towards him.
Kings’ batters have the second-best run fee in overs 16 to twenty in IPL 2023 – 11.65 – behind Gujarat Titans.
On the flip facet, Kings bowlers have the second-worst financial system fee from overs 16 to twenty – 11.20. They are solely behind Mumbai Indians.

Pitch and circumstances

Delhi is one in every of solely three venues this season, together with Lucknow and Guwahati, which might be but to supply a 200-plus whole. While circumstances in Delhi haven’t been as bowler-friendly as these in Lucknow, the place groups have scored at a median run fee of seven.10, they have not been essentially the most batter-friendly both. Only Lucknow, Hyderabad and Chennai have produced a decrease run fee than Delhi’s 8.65 to date.