Royals aim for a quick turnaround in Delhi after loss against SRH

Expect a run fest. 

At least, that’s what the pattern of run-scoring has been in New Delhi this Indian Premier League (IPL). A venue that is normally slow and aids the tweakers has been completely opposite this year, with the ball flying left, right and centre. 

Delhi Capitals have used the batting conditions to their advantage, winning two out of their three games at the venue. However, they did not win without a late scare. 

Up against them will be a rampant Rajasthan Royals, who will be fuelled by the close loss in Hyderabad the other night. If you consider man-to-man, the Royals will definitely start the clash as favourites but Delhi would be hopeful to put on a good show for the home fans. 

DC vs RR Head-to-Head

Overall Games 28 | DC 13 | RR 15

In Delhi Games 6 | DC 2 | RR 4 

Venue Details

Believe it or not, RR have a better win % than DC at Arun Jaitley. But the conditions this year have been starkly different. The average run rate this year at the venue has been 11.9, with 1413 runs scored in just three matches.

The average score batting first in Delhi this year is 249. Teams batting first have won all three games at the venue, with two being close encounters. So, expect another run-fest. 

Pacers have picked up 65% (26) of the wickets at the venue, while spinners have picked up 14 wickets. It hasn’t been a very friendly venue for the tweakers, whose economy rate is at 12. 

Weather forecast

Trust me, it is perhaps the worst question to ask, Delhi is as sweltering as it could ever get. Temperatures during the day are predicted to touch 42 degrees, with a humidity of 18%. It will only get partially cool as the day progresses, with temperatures of 36 degrees. So expect a hot day.

Things to watch out for

How will the Royals counter the JFM threat?

In three innings at the venue this year, the young Australian Jake-Fraser McGurk has been at his destructive best, with 172 runs at a strike rate of 291.5. 162 of JFM’s runs have come in boundaries, which already makes him a tough prospect to bowl at. So, reducing the impact at the top will be RR’s top priority.

That’s where someone with the experience of Trent Boult could come into the equation. JFM has been dismissed eight times by left-arm pacers, and Boult is one of the best left-arm pacers. Five of Boult’s seven dismissals in the powerplay have come in the first over. Look out for that particular battle. 

Khaleel Ahmed’s inconsistent run

Khaleel Ahmed’s form might concern Delhi Capitals. In his last five games, the left-arm pacer has struck only thrice, including two against Mumbai Indians in New Delhi. But barring that rare occasion, Khaleel has been wicketless in the other two clashes at home.

It isn’t just that he has gone wicketless; he has also been quite costly. In the last four clashes, his economy read 9.3, 11.3, 13 and 17. If Khaleel doesn’t make early inroads, Delhi might be in for a long day at home, where conditions have been quite favouring the batters this year. 

Probable XIs

DC: Prithvi Shaw, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Rasikh Dar Salam, Lizaad Williams, Khaleel Ahmed, Sumit Kumar (IP)

RR: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Sharma, Jos Buttler (IP)

Telecast and streaming details

The match will be live on Star Sports Network and live-streamed on Jio Cinema. The game will start at 7:30 PM, with the toss happening at 7 PM.

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