The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in just a step away from its grand finale. Call it Qualifier2 or semi-finals, the match will see a clash between the loser of Qualifier 1, Delhi Capitals (DC) and the winners of the Eliminator, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Abu Dhabi.
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Team CompositionIt is quite assured that the teams who have reached the playoffswould not have reached in the absence of the balanced sides. So, both DC and SRH have struck a perfect balance among batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders.
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Current formDC are on fluctuations as of now and will have to bring back the form that they had in the starting of the season. SRH just need to continue with what they have been doing of late. They have won consecutive matches to secure a place in the playoffs and later, climb up to the Qualifier 2.
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Head-to-headThe teams have clashed a total of 17 times with each other, where SRH have won 11 times, while DC have managed to win merely six times. In their previous clash this season, SRH had won by 88 runs in Dubai.
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Weather and pitch reportThe weather in Abu Dhabi is likely to be 31 degrees, which will be accompanied by a gentle comforting breeze, as observed in the previous few clashes. The pitch has shown a plethora of colours, where sometimes even 170 has been chased, while at times teams have defended 130 as well. However, any score around 150, with a few decent bowling spells, will make the match close-necked.
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Probable 11DC: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Sams, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje.SRH: David Warner (c), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Vijay Shankar, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan.
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Dream 11 PredictionBatsmen: David Warner (c), Shikhar Dhawan (vc), Shreyas Iyer, Kane Williamson- Warner and Dhawan can get off to a good start, while Iyer and Willamson can consolidate in the middle. All have been deadly this season. Warner's consistency, along with Dahawan's brutal form, makes them the captain and vice-captain, respectively.Wicketkeeper: Rishabh Pant- The wicketkeeper-batsman can put up a decent show with the willow, as he has been doing throughout this season.Allrounders: Axar Patel, Jason Holder- The two all-rounders have a way both with the bat and the ball. They can get the major breakthroughs with the ball and can smash the big hits with the bat. Axar can do it with the ball, while Holder has risen to form all-round.Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, T Natarajan, Ravi Ashwin and Sandeep Sharma- The spinner Ashwin can fox the batsmen, while the seamers comprising of Rabada, Natrajan, and Sharma can restrict the opposition, as all have done fairly well this season.
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Players to look out forPrithvi Shaw:The opener for DC, he was in a terrific form in the starting, but has flopped of late. The team direly needs a knock from his bat in the crucial match against SRH.Rishabh Pant:The wicketkeeper-batsman shone brightly in the first half of the tournament, but has been unable to put up a show after he recovered from his injury. Fans are awaiting his performance in the playoffs.Manish Pandey:The story for the middle-order SRH batsman is no different. A performance from his bat also awaited.
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