After Sunrisers Hyderabad knocked out Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore, the stage is set for Delhi Capitals and Hyderabad as they get a final chance to get a win here and battle Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2020. Delhi have been very poor lately, losing five out of their last six games that too heavily.
The last time the sides met, Delhi succumbed to just 131 after they were asked to chase a gigantic total of 220. On the other hand, Hyderabad have won their last four games out of five, defeating the likes of Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Bangalore again. The team has been performing well in every department and everyone player is trying to chip in whatever way they can.
Delhi had a phenomenal start to the season and were at the top of the points table for some time but their recent dip in form has only increased the number of problems for them. Sunrisers have been doing exceedingly well and one of the biggest reasons for their success is their skipper, David Warner. Out of nowhere, Warner picked up his form and is currently 2nd in the Orange Cap race, 124 runs adrift of KL Rahul who won’t be playing any more games.
Warner has 2 games in hand to claim his fourth orange cap after doing so in the years 2015, 17, and 19. Delhi will have to do a lot to stop this in-form Hyderabad side as the orange army look forward towards their 5th consecutive victory.
The match will be played on a Sunday evening, November 8 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
Head to Head
Matches:17, DC:6, SRH: 11
Team News
Delhi Capitals will have to do some serious thinking as neither of the departments are performing well. The batting has been dismal as the top 4 batsmen are throwing their wickets in the powerplay itself. Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer with the amount of experience they have will have to stand up and take the blame. However, what’s more important is to find a solution to the existing problems.
Their bowling lineup led by the Proteas Kagiso Rabada has begun to underperform too. Rabada has dropped down to the second spot in the Purple Cap and it is quite evident considering how off he has been lately. Ricky Ponting will have to find a way so that the team does not put up any more one-sided performances, spoiling not only their game but also the viewers’ excitement as the KO stages are expected to be thrillers.
Sunrisers Hyderabad will be hoping and most probably including Wriddhiman Saha in the XI after he missed the game against Bangalore due to injury. In the limited games he’s played, Saha has shown why he deserved more chances
Probable Playing XI
Delhi Capitals (DC): Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): David Warner (C), Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Priyam Garg, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan.
Pitch Conditions
The Abu Dhabi pitch has been favoring the spinners for a while now. Considering it a do or die game for both teams, both teams will have to be prepared for the worst. The sky will be clear and it will be perfect for a game of cricket.
The temperature is expected to drop a bit, something around 29-30 degrees is anticipated. The pitch may surprise the batsmen more often than the bowlers. However, if a batsman is set and plays his strokes cleanly, there’s no stopping him.
Key Battles
Shikhar Dhawan (DC) vs Sandeep Sharma (SRH)
Shikhar Dhawan has been under tremendous pressure as a string of low scores follow him. Being one of the senior-most players in the team, Dhawan needs to find hid rhythm back like the earlier stages when he scored two very crucial centuries for the team. A failure in this game will not only affect him but also the rest of the batting as he has always been the one laying the foundation for the Capitals.
He will be against Sharma who is perhaps the most underrated pacer in the IPL. His overall stats are as good as the likes of Bumrah while his economy is even better. Considering that the pitches have been slow and bowlers have found it tough to swing the ball, Sandeep Sharma has been producing delivering where the swing has been around 1-2 degrees. This may certainly trouble Dhawan and the Capitals and they will have to make sure they take every risk keeping in mind the consequences.
Ravichandran Ashwin (DC) vs David Warner (SRH)
As far as wicket-taking is concerned, Ashwin started well but lost his rhythm completely after he injured his shoulder very early in the tournament. However, since his return, he has been economical and his lengths have been consistent. Knowing his potential, Warner will have to be careful of every step he takes.
Warner has picked up his form at the perfect time and he looks lethal especially after Jonny Bairstow was dropped from the side. He is playing his natural game but with responsibility and nothing can beat that. His performances have been the main key in Sunrisers’ totals and they will hope that the Aussie fires well.
Prediction
Hyderabad look unstoppable at the moment, while Delhi look to have lost their way. Sunrisers did struggle against Bangalore in the Eliminator but a low total allowed them to keep calm and they kept moving forward. Early wickets like these won’t help them as Delhi have a potentially robust bowling line up.
Delhi will have to have a plan and executing it will be everyone’s job. If they lose, this will the second time they will lose out on a chance they very well deserved considering how they played the group stages. However, their batting has been unpredictable lately and with a bowling line up including Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan, and Rashid Khan, things may get worse for the Capitals.
Cricwizz predicts Sunrisers Hyderabad to win the Qualifier 2.
