Delhi Capitals will lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2021 2nd Qualifier. Delhi Capitals lost Qualifier 1 by four wickets in a close match against Chennai Super Kings. Now it’s time for them to take advantage of the one more opportunity they’ve been given since finishing first at the table. They were fierce competitors in Qualifier 1 but couldn’t maintain their nerves against MS Dhoni, one of cricket’s most delicate finishes. We’ll have to wait and see if they make it to the finals for the second year in a row.
On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders stormed into Qualifier 2 by defeating RCB by 4 wickets in the penultimate over the Eliminator match. Their spinners have been outstanding in this competition, barely going for runs. Sunil Narine, who took four wickets in the first innings and then made a helpful cameo with the bat, deserves special mention. Despite his terrible batsmanship, Eoin Morgan has been an excellent captain.
Weather
The weather will be warm in Sharjah, with an average temperature of around 34°C.
Pitch
The wicket was deceived in the RCB-KKR match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The two-paced surface aspect hasn’t changed, and neither team will have an easy time batting. Another low-scoring encounter is expected.
Probable Playing XIs
Delhi Capitals:
Rishabh Pant (c&wk), Avesh Khan, Ripal Patel, Shimron Hetmyer, Prithvi Shaw, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Axar Patel, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Anrich Nortje
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Dinesh Karthik (wk), Eoin Morgan (c), Shakib Al Hasan, Shivam Mavi, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Lockie Ferguson, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy
Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders – Qualifier 2, Dream 11:
Prithvi Shaw (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Shakib Al Hasan, Axar Patel, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Lockie Ferguson, Ravichandran Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy
Prediction
Match winner
- Delhi Capitals
Winning the toss
- Delhi Capitals
Top Batsman
- Delhi Capitals – Shikhar Dhawan
- Kolkata Knight Riders – Shubman Gill
Top Bowler
- Delhi Capitals – Kagiso Rabada
- Kolkata Knight Riders – Sunil Narine
Most Sixes
- Delhi Capitals – Rishabh Pant
- Kolkata Knight Riders – Dinesh Karthik
Player of the Match
- Delhi Capitals – Shikhar Dhawan
Team Scores Batting First
- Delhi Capitals – 165+
- Kolkata Knight Riders – 160+
The current form of KKR is far superior to that of DC, who have lost their previous two games. However, both teams are pretty similarly matched and have players who can thrive in the Sharjah climate.
For KKR, the journey to the playoffs has been long and winding, and winning so many games in a row could be difficult. DC has a chance to break their losing streak and reach their second IPL final.
Let’s enjoy the second last match of the IPL with Baji now!