IPL 2024, DC vs KKR Preview: Will Rishabh Pant & Co. deny Kolkata Knight Riders a hat-trick of wins?

As Delhi Capitals gear up to face Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2024 clash in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, they aim to validate their recent victory over Chennai Super Kings and demonstrate consistency. Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, seek to continue their winning streak after securing back-to-back victories.

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Delhi Capitals drew confidence from their convincing 20-run triumph against defending champions CSK in their previous match. Led by Rishabh Pant, they displayed prowess in all facets of the game, outsmarting their opponents comprehensively.

In the upcoming encounter against KKR, Delhi Capitals will look to replicate their stellar performance. The responsibility rests on the shoulders of players like Prithvi Shaw and veteran Australian David Warner to provide a solid foundation at the top of the order.

Rishabh Pant, the captain of Delhi Capitals, continues to inspire his team with his remarkable journey. Despite a couple of shaky innings, Pant showcased his destructive batting prowess by scoring his maiden fifty of the season, hinting at a return to form.

The presence of South African Tristan Stubbs and Australian Mitchell Marsh adds significant firepower to Delhi Capitals' batting lineup, but their performances need improvement, especially towards the end of the innings, as DC lacks domestic power hitters.

While Stubbs demonstrated his batting prowess against Rajasthan Royals, consistent performances from him would greatly benefit DC.

Similarly, Marsh is yet to unleash his power-hitting abilities, which could potentially make him a lethal weapon for DC.

Anrich Nortje, coming back from a prolonged injury break, is still finding his rhythm, adding pressure on Delhi Capitals' Indian pace unit to deliver exceptional performances against a strong Kolkata Knight Riders side.

While Khaleel Ahmed's bowling performance against CSK was noteworthy, his persistent fielding issues, especially with aerial catches, remain a cause for concern. His dropped catch of MS Dhoni in the previous match highlights this ongoing struggle.

Mukesh Kumar may lack pace, but the experienced Ishant Sharma possesses the skill to pose challenging questions to the opposition batsmen.

On the other side, KKR has shown promise this season, securing two victories in as many games. The likes of opener Phil Salt, all-rounder Andre Russell, and Venkatesh Iyer have been in fine form, presenting a formidable challenge for the Delhi pacers.

Delhi's skipper Shreyas Iyer found some form with the bat in the win against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Rookie pacer Harshit Rana has impressed with his performance so far, claiming five wickets in two matches. However, their star acquisition, Mitchell Starc, and spinner Varun Chakravarthy have conceded runs abundantly, which is an area of concern for KKR.

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The Teams (From):

Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c), David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Yash Dhull, Abishek Porel, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Pravin Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Swastik Chikara and Shai Hope.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), KS Bharat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Match starts at 7.30pm IST.