Delhi Capitals (DC) sit at the fringes of the top four. They began very strong, stronger than most other teams, in fact, with a four-match winning streak, which, frankly, is what’s keeping them in the loop. Since that streak ended, DC have lost four out of their last six games. Ironically, these figures are the same for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), whom DC will play in their next game. They, too, have won only two of their recent six.
But DC would not want their hard-earned wins going down the drain just because they lost the plot in the middle of the season. Even with competition as cutthroat as it is right now, DC can still end this stage among the top four. But, for whatever it’s worth, it isn’t their chances of making the playoffs that put them in danger, but their form. One of the two games they won recently was through a Super Over, against a team that’s already been eliminated. That doesn’t read easy on the eyes.
For SRH, it isn’t over yet, but it’s close. They have six points in 10 games, and the maximum they can reach is 14. Four teams have already touched that mark, and unless those four teams and everyone above SRH in the table decide to pull out of the tournament or suffer an alien abduction, SRH won’t get a pass to the next stage with only 14 points. They defeated GT recently and a resurgent MI twice in a row, but all those wins can do now is give them morale for next season.
Team Overview:
Faf du Plessis finally got going after his return. He scored 62 runs against KKR, albeit at a paltry strike rate. One thing that can work in DC’s favour is that none of their top-order batters seems completely oblivious to their responsibilities. Abhishek Porel and Karun Nair have had their moments (singular, in Nair’s case) of brilliance. Axar Patel and KL Rahul have given the side CPR multiple times. Not only that, their batters have struck at a rate worse than only Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, and GT.
Their spin stock looks sorted, with Kuldeep Yadav, Vipraj Nigam, and Axar Patel. However, Mitchell Starc has had to do all the pace work himself. Mohit Sharma (105) and Mukesh Kumar (52.5) have struggled with the ball, as their averages make painfully clear. There have been talks of including Thangarasu Natarajan, who averaged almost 24 for DC last season, and the DC think tank might succumb to the calls in this game.
SRH have spent a good part of this season immersed in nostalgia from last year. They could not recreate the same dominance, hence their low position in the table. They’ve faltered not just with the bat, but with the ball as well. Mohammad Shami has taken 6 wickets in 9 games. Pat Cummins seems to be wrestling with his bowling woes and has shown some improvement, but is still far from his best. Amidst all the chaos, Harshal Patel, Zeeshan Ansari, and Jaydev Unadkat have been revelations, especially in the bowling department
Head-to-Head Matches:
Both teams have been competitive against each other over the years. In 25 games where they faced off, DC have won 12 games, while SRH managed to win 13.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Hyderabad loves batters, and so the venue spoils them with plenty of assistance. Amongst the venues that have hosted at least two games this season, Hyderabad saw the most runs being scored per over, 10.67. There shouldn’t be any reason for the surface to behave any differently in this game. A red-soil pitch in the middle is likely to be used, which will give plenty of true bounce for the batters to time their strokes. A 200-plus first innings total can be bet on.
Prediction:
Despite their poor run lately, DC have every chance to triumph over SRH in Hyderabad, unless Sunrisers channel their trademark best.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
