IPL 2021: KKR vs DC preview: Can Kolkata halt indomitable Delhi's glorious run?
Kolkata Knight Riders has been on an upward spiral since IPL 2021's resumption in UAE, and so has been Delhi Capitals. Meanwhile, as the two sides clash, KKR would be looking to halt DC's indomitable run.
FollowThe resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become a boon for former champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). It has shown a tremendous display of gameplay across departments and an enormous fighting spirit.
The same has been the case for Delhi Capitals (DC), as it is unbeaten in this leg of the season. While it would be looking to continue the trend, KKR would be out to stop its insuperable run, as they clash in Match 41 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Current form
DC is placed second in the table, with eight wins from ten games, as a win here would seal its playoffs berth. Meanwhile, KKR has won four from ten and is placed fourth, as it is well in contention for the playoffs.
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Team composition
KKR is slightly heavy on its bowling. However, its batting has been a top draw of late, especially openers Shubman Gill and uncapped Venkatesh Iyer, who have been incredible. While the trend is likely to continue, skipper Eoin Morgan would draw the attention, along with Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Lockie Ferguson and Prasidh Krishna.
As for DC, it is balanced across departments, along with equal distribution of its stars and capped players, making it one of the most organised sides of the tournament. It is the team to beat, as its influential top-order, along with a rich middle-order and a credible bowling attack.
LIVE SCORECARD: IPL 2021 - KKR vs DC
Injury concerns
DC has an injury concern with all-rounder Marcus Stoinis pulling his hamstring. However, KKR has no injury concerns and would be coming hard at DC.
Head-to-head
The two sides have clashed on 28 occasions and are nearly even, with KKR leading 14-13, while in 27 IPL clashes, KKR leads 14-12. Of the three games between the two in UAE, DC leads 2-1, while in the only match in Sharjah, it was DC that trumped.
Weather and pitch report
The weather in Sharjah would be shrivelling with 38 degrees of temperature and 53% humidity. The track has been on the slower side in the two games that we have seen so far. However, considering the smaller boundaries, it is good, and the team winning the toss might look to bat first due to the dew factor and the pitch slowing.
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Probable XI
KKR: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (c), Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell/ Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy and Prasidh Krishna.
DC: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Lalit Yadav/ Steve Smith, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Avesh Khan.
Fantasy XI
Batters: Dhawan (c), Rana, Tripathi, Shaw- Dhawan and Shaw are to give the explosive starts, along with Tripathi at number three, while Rana is sure to consolidate in the middle-order. Dhawan'sreliability makes him the skipper
Wicketkeepers: Karthik, Pant- Both are the men in form and are no-brainers in the department.
All-rounders: Russell (vc), Axar- He has been delivering with his bowling of late, while he is expected to fire with the bat on any given day, making him the deputy skipper. Also, Axar has been delivering with his spin.
Bowlers: Avesh, Krishna, Chakravarthy- The two pacers have been nailing it and are must-haves, while Chakravarthy is the only spinner to watch out who has been highly impactful.
Match details
Date and day: September 28, 2021 (Tuesday)
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Time: 3.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi (Also available in HD, along with regional languages)
Where to watch (Online): Hotstar
