A successful double over the Rajasthan Royals helped Delhi Capitals return to winning ways as they now prepare themselves to face Chennai Super Kings. Chennai Super Kings finally had a result they wanted in their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. They will now hope to keep up the momentum and give their best in the remainder of the tournament.
The game is going to be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on the 17th of October. Delhi are currently at the top of the charts although injuries have become a major concern for the franchise. The good thing is that some of the other players are taking responsibility in the game and stepping up.
CSK on the other hand, have just three wins out of eight, something no one expected to happen but it is 2020, so you never know what comes out of the box. CSK will still fancy their chances of becoming a part of the playoffs. 3-4 wins out of the remaining 6 games will more or less put CSK in contention while we all know that CSK certainly have the players to do the job for them.
When the sides faced each other last time, CSK fell short by 44 runs as Prithvi Shaw scored a fabulous half-century (64), supported by the Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer scoring 35, 37* and 26 respectively. For Chennai, only Faf du Plessis fired an impressive 43 while the others took too much time to start accelerating.
However, will things fall in favor of Rabada again?? Or will Sam Curran stand tall against the Proteas?
Head to Head
Matches:22 , DC:7, CSK:15
Team News
Delhi was happy with the result against Rajasthan but their injuries list got bigger as the skipper Shreyas Iyer was added to it. Delhi have great squad depth, with players who have performed in one way or the other. However, with Rishabh Pant and Iyer not fully fit and the compulsion of excluding Shimron Hetmyer who was in great touch is a big concern for the Capitals.
Alex Carey is yet to find his best while Marcus Stoinis has got the added pressure to perform and that has clearly affected his free-flowing performances. For Chennai, the last game was tricky as they started off well with Sam Curran’s quick 31.
Things got scary as Kane Williamson looked really good and was moments away from taking the game from the hands of CSK. Playing two spinners at Sharjah will be a huge gamble for CSK as they may be taken on. However, the recent games have seen the ball spin significantly, leaving Dhoni with a call to make.
Jadeja has looked brilliant with the bat since the 2019 World Cup and specifically in this IPL. Pushing him up the order may just add 20-30 quick runs to CSK’s score.
Pitch Conditions
Everyone knows what Sharjah brings to the table. The highest scoring ground in the tournament has already presented so many thrillers. Especially known for jaw-dropping chases, the previous two games have shared a different story. The teams batting first have been winning and it is not only their bowling that contributed to the wins, the pitch is playing its game too.
Batsmen looking to make good use of the powerplay will be benefitted and one thing is sure that there will be raining sixes. Sides will not have the added pressure of putting 200 on the board as anything around 180 has also sufficed recently.
The sky will be clear, while humidity is expected to be around 45%.
Probable Playing XI
Delhi Capitals (DC): Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer/Ajinkya Rahane (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Alex Carey/Rishabh Pant (WK), Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Axar Patel, Tushar Deshpande.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Dwayne Bravo, Piyush Chawla/ Karn Sharma/N. Jagadeesan.
Key Battles
Shikhar Dhawan (DC) vs Deepak Chahar (CSK)
Dhawan has looked fantastic in the past couple of games and it seems he is finally handed the license to free his arms. Dhawan looked very sluggish in the initial stages of the tournament and it seemed it may not be a good one for him. However, Dhawan has made his mark as a crucial member of the DC squad and has been very consistent, fluent, and at the same time very quick to change gears in between the innings.
Dhawan has managed to score 57 and 69* in his last two games and both his innings were quick and amazing to watch. He will be against Deepak Chahar who has not been the best at what he does. Early breakthroughs have been his thing in the past. However, he still builds enough pressure on the batsman and his economy does lead to a wicket or two in and around the powerplay.
The games at Sharjah have not been the best for CSK bowlers and it will be Chahar’s duty to start well and set a precedent for the other CSK bowlers to follow.
Kagiso Rabada (DC) vs Sam Curran (CSK)
The purple cap holder has been in a league of his own with 18 wickets in the tournament so far, six ahead of the second-placed Jofra Archer. The reason for his success has not been only his raw pace but also how well he has been mixing his lengths. He can bowl short, he can bowl full and his yorkers are pretty lethal too.
His range in pace makes it difficult for the batsman to guess as he may get the length right but guessing the pace too is not everyone’s cup of tea. He will be locking horns with Sam Curran who has been very impressive with his bat in terms of hitting quick and long, something CSK has failed to do consistently this season.
The battle between the two looks promising and it will be enthralling to see if Curran holds back or decides to take the Proteas on.
Prediction
Picking the favorite in this game will not be easy as Delhi may struggle while batting. With no confirmation on Shreyas Iyer and Pant’s availability, Delhi’s batting order could have a mixed day. Their last game too was more of a masterclass by their bowling department and with Chennai’s batting potential, it may be very risky.
For CSK, there are loads of potential in every department but the execution has not been perfect yet. MS Dhoni and Co. would want the 2 points to keep their hopes alive and a win in this game would only alleviate their pressure.
However, holding back should not be an option for either team.
Cricwizz predicts Delhi Capitals to win the game.
