Delhi Capitals, who have had a mixed season in the IPL 2022 so far, will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the match no. 27 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. DC are coming off a win while RCB had to face a defeat in their last fixture.
Rishabh Pant’s side have played four matches in the season, winning two and losing as many with a net run-rate of 0.476. They won their first game against Mumbai Indians but lost the next two. In their last fixture, the Capitals toppled Kolkata Knight Riders by 44 runs at Brabourne Stadium.
Prithvi Shaw hammered 51 off 29 while David Warner anchored the innings with a 45-ball 61. With some quickfire contributions from Pant, Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur, DC posted a big total of 215/5.
Defending the target, a 69-run partnership between Nitish Rana and Shreyas Iyer gave them a scare but Kuldeep Yadav’s 4/35 put them right on top, eventually bowling out KKR for 171.
Faf du Plessis-led RCB have won three out of five games, with net run-rate reading 0.006. The men in red and gold came back strong after the first loss to win three games on the trot. Their winning momentum was halted by CSK in the last fixture as RCB lost the game by 23 runs at DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday.
The Royal Challengers dearly missed Harshal Patel as CSK hammered 216/4 in the first innings. Some poor tactics meant RCB bowlers had no answers to the onslaught by Shivam Dube (95 off 46) and Robin Uthappa (88 off 50). Bangalore were reduced to 50/4 in 6.5 overs, losing three of their main batters in du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell.
Shahbaz Ahmed (41 off 28) and Suyash Prabhudesai (34 off 18) did well to give the team a fighting chance. Dinesh Karthik blasted 14-ball 34, but RCB’s hopes died once he was dismissed.
Key players
Prithvi Shaw is one of the most destructive batters in the IPL, with an ability to take the game away in the powerplay itself. The 22-yr old has scored 1465 runs in the league at an average of 26 while striking at 149, including 12 fifties. Shaw has been terrific in the ongoing season, blasting 160 runs in four innings at 40 average and 170 strike rate. He’s coming off two back to back fifties and remains a key player.
Kuldeep Yadav has truly returned to form after his torrid time in the last couple of years. The left arm wrist spinner has taken 10 wickets in just four games in the IPL 2022 at an economy of 7.40. Overall, Kuldeep has 132 wickets in T20 cricket at an economy of 7.51 rpo. He’s coming off a spell of 4/35 and could play an important role against RCB.
Dinesh Karthik is amongst the very best finishers in the T20 format, and he has shown how good he can be when utilised the right way. The 36-yr old has smashed 131 runs in five matches at an exceptional strike rate of 218 and has been dismissed only once. Overall, Karthik has scored 4177 runs in the IPL at an average of 26 and strike rate of 131. With the kind of form he’s in, DK will be a key player for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Harshal Patel has mastered the art of defensive bowling, making him one of the best death overs specialists in the game. The right-arm pacer had snared 32 wickets from 15 matches in the IPL 2021 at an economy of 8.15. Harshal has been even better this season, picking 6 wickets in four matches while conceding at only 5.50 rpo.
Prediction
As far as the head to head record between these two teams is concerned, RCB lead the scoreline by 17 wins to 10. DC, however, lead the last six games by 4-2.
Talking about the squads, Delhi Capitals’ batting does look very good with David Warner coming in. Prithvi Shaw has been in terrific form while Rishabh Pant is showing the glimpses of his glorious old self. But the lower middle order looks shaky. The bowling attack remains a concern, but Mustafizur Rahman, Khaleel Ahmed and Kuldeep Yadav have looked impressive.
RCB might need to rethink their batting combination with the top order not quite working out. Shahbaz Ahmed and Dinesh Karthik have been outstanding with the bat. The bowling department fell apart in the last game but should be fine with the return of Harshal Patel. If Mohammed Siraj can find some rhythm, RCB should do well.
Overall, the two teams are equally matched, and the result could go either way. Royal Challengers Bangalore will head into this fixture as slight favourites.
