Delhi Capitals opted to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders in a crucial IPL encounter at Delhi, anticipating the pitch to be slightly sluggish initially and improve later for the batsmen. Choosing an unchanged line-up from their previous defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore, DC were hopeful for a return to winning form on home turf.
KKR, defending their title, are precariously close to a must-win situation. They introduced Anukul Roy, a left-arm spinner, as a change after their last match against Punjab Kings ended without a result due to rain. Roy, known primarily for his fielding skills, will aim to make an impact as a bowler.
DC’s recent form has been mixed, with a promising start tapering off. They’ve amassed 12 points from nine matches, and a few more victories could secure them a top-two finish. Their batting faltered on a slow pitch last time, but they expect better conditions under lights.
KKR’s batting woes continued, with Ajinkya Rahane being their standout performer, although T20 isn’t his usual format. The side needs to rediscover their form to avoid near-elimination.
Varun Aaron and Ian Bishop, discussing DC’s bowling strategy, suggested an adaptation to the conditions at Kotla could prove decisive for DC’s progress. Aaron remarked, “The Delhi pitch can be deceptive; it demands precision.”
The potential Impact Players cited included Vaibhav Arora for KKR and Ashutosh Sharma for DC, both aiming to provide tactical flexibility.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
2. Sunil Narine
3. Venkatesh Iyer
4. Ajinkya Rahane (capt.)
5. Rinku Singh
6. Angkrish Raghuvanshi
7. Andre Russell
8. Rovman Powell
9. Harshit Rana
10. Anukul Roy
11. Varun Chakravarthy
Possible Impact Players: Manish Pandey, Mayank Markande, Vaibhav Arora, Ramandeep Singh, Luvnith Sisodia
Delhi Capitals:
1. Faf du Plessis
2. Abishek Porel
3. Karun Nair
4. KL Rahul (wk)
5. Axar Patel (capt.)
6. Tristan Stubbs
7. Vipraj Nigam
8. Mitchell Starc
9. Dushmantha Chameera
10. Kuldeep Yadav
11. Mukesh Kumar
Possible Impact Players: Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Jake Fraser McGurk, T Vijay, Donovan Ferreira
As the tournament unfolds, DC will look to stabilise their campaign, while KKR must find their spark to stay alive.
