Travishek is not one to back down from a challenge. However, he may have some reservations when it comes to facing Mitchell Starc. The left-arm fast bowler has proven to be a tough opponent for Travis Head in the past. In fact, during Qualifier 1 of IPL 2024, Travis was dismissed by Starc after only two balls, resulting in a disappointing duck. This experience led him to make the decision of letting Abhishek Sharma take the first strike in the final match – and we all know how that turned out.
As Starc takes the new ball for his new team, he faces SRH’s fierce opening duo once again on Sunday afternoon. A repeat performance from Starc would greatly benefit DC’s bowling unit, which also comprises of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Mukesh Kumar. In the previous season, these three bowlers were unable to withstand the explosive batting display of Head and Abhishek, resulting in SRH scoring a record-breaking 125 for 0 in the IPL powerplay at Delhi. This time, the battle moves to Visakhapatnam, where DC made a remarkable comeback against LSG in their last match. On the other hand, SRH is coming off a loss to LSG in their most recent game as well.
DC’s first win was a result of their determination. While bowling, they managed to limit LSG to 209 runs, despite their strong start of 161 for 2 in just 13 overs. In their batting innings, they recovered from a rough start of 66 for 5 and eventually achieved victory with only three balls remaining. Despite struggling during the powerplays and post-powerplay periods, they never gave up.
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As they strive for their second victory, resilience will play a crucial role with their newfound knowledge on how to contain SRH. LSG’s approach of treating the entire 20 overs as a critical phase was successful, and DC possess the necessary players to duplicate it. Mohit Sharma and Mukesh have the necessary abilities, while Axar and Kuldeep have gained another year of experience.
However, DC is facing their own set of challenges. In their last match against LSG, their top order failed to perform and they cannot continuously rely on their lower order to rescue them. Recently, KL Rahul joined the team after becoming a new father and DC must strategize how to incorporate him into their playing 11. Additionally, they should be cautious of SRH who will be determined to prove that their loss on Thursday was just a one-time occurrence.
Updates on the team roster and potential starting lineups
With Rahul’s return to the team, he is anticipated to take over the No. 4 spot, potentially replacing Sameer Rizvi. Mukesh’s status is uncertain due to an ankle sprain suffered during the LSG game, while T Natarajan, who is recuperating from a shoulder problem, probably won’t play against his previous team. If Mukesh is unable to play, Darshan Nalkande could be a potential replacement. Alternatively, Rizvi may be kept in the lineup and Fraser-McGurk could be dropped in favor of fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera.
The Delhi Capitals’ line-up includes Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel as the wicket-keeper, KL Rahul, Axar Patel as captain, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma and either Mukesh Kumar or Darshan Nalkande.
There are no reported injuries within the SRH camp, so we can expect to see an unchanged team take the field.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s lineup includes Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Simarjeet Singh, and Adam Zampa.
What is the optimal placement for Rahul? The fourth spot appears to be the most suitable choice, as it has been his strongest position (out of at least five innings) in regards to both average (49.08) and strike rate (139.90).
Rahul’s initial breakthrough and notable achievement in the format was as an opener, where he even holds the record for the fastest 14-ball fifty in the IPL. Considering Fraser-McGurk’s recent struggles, would it make sense for Rahul to potentially team up with Faf du Plessis at the top?
Under the spotlight were two rising stars, Kuldeep Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
During last season’s match against SRH in Delhi, Kuldeep Yadav had a rough start, giving up four sixes in his first seven balls to Abhishek. However, he quickly bounced back by taking down Abhishek, Head, Aiden Markram and Nitish Kumar Reddy – all of whom will be playing on Saturday. Despite conceding 55 runs in four overs, Kuldeep’s timely breakthroughs prevented SRH from reaching their final total of 266. Notably, Head has struggled against left-arm wristspin in the IPL, having been dismissed twice in just nine balls. This makes Kuldeep a viable option to introduce early on if Head starts off aggressively with the new ball. As seen from LSG’s performance against SRH, taking wickets is crucial for containing their explosive batting line-up.
Despite playing in Visakhapatnam, which is considered an “away” game for SRH, Nitish Kumar Reddy will feel at ease in the city where he was born. He has been identified as a valuable long-term player by SRH and has impressed with scores of 32 and 30 so far this season. Positioned at No. 4, Reddy complements Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen perfectly, especially when facing spinners. His impressive IPL strike rate of 170.19 since 2024 only adds to his threat on the field.
The pitch and playing conditions.
With an afternoon game taking place on a batting-friendly pitch, it is reasonable to anticipate a first-innings score of over 200. In Visakhapatnam, the side batting first has emerged victorious in half of all IPL matches. The previous three first-innings totals in this tournament at this location have been 191, 272, and 209.
Important numbers
In recognized cricket, Head and Starc have faced off seven times. Starc has taken eight wickets in 29 balls, with no boundaries conceded. Out of the five dismissals, four were bowled and the remaining was caught behind.
Faf du Plessis has had a successful encounter with Mohammed Shami in the IPL, recording 106 runs in only 61 balls with just two dismissals. In contrast, Shami’s performance against KL Rahul has been exceptional, as he has conceded only 28 runs in 31 balls and dismissed him twice.
In the IPL, Axar Patel has a favorable economy rate of 6.51 when bowling to right-hand batters, but his economy rate increases to 9.07 when facing left-hand batters.
The upcoming three games
After their upcoming match against Chennai Super Kings on April 5, DC will then face off against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10 while still on the road. Finally, they will return to Delhi for a home game against Mumbai Indians on April 13.
After their upcoming game against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 3, SRH will have two home matches against Gujarat Titans on April 6 and Punjab Kings on April 12.
