🏏 IPL 2024: Match 16 - DC vs KKR at Visakhapatnam on 03/04/2024 @ 7.30 PM IST🏏
[Logo credit - Wildestdreams]
Shaw, Pant and Starc in focus for different reasons in hot and humid Vizag
KKR and Royals are the only unbeaten teams in IPL 2024 at this stage, while Capitals have just won their first game after two losses
Visakhapatnam might be Delhi Capitals' alternate home venue, but it was a sea of yellow when they played here a couple of days back. That was mostly down to them playing against Chennai Super Kings - more specially, MS Dhoni. When they play Kolkata Knight Riders, Capitals will hope for some more red and blue in the stands as they look to climb up the points table.
Capitals know what it's like to fall behind early in the IPL. They lost their first five games in IPL 2023, which made coming back into the tournament tough. The victory against CSK was important keeping that in mind.
They don't have the batting depth that some of the other teams boast of, and will need their top order to fire again, and keep firing through the tournament.
Crucially, Prithvi Shaw, who was among the runs in his first outing in IPL 2024 in the game against CSK, and David Warner have excellent numbers against KKR - no one has scored more than Warner's 1075 against KKR, while Shaw averages 45 against KKR, and his highest score of 99 also came against them, in 2019.
Rishabh Pant's move to No. 3 against CSK showed positive intent from Capitals, and he repaid the faith with a quick half-century. But they will want runs from the other batters, too.
It won't be easy against KKR, who have won both their games so far this season. They had a scare in the opening game of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad but scored a clinical win against RCB. KKR don't have a lot of holes to plug, but the one area that needs sorting is their powerplay bowling.
It's still early days in the tournament, but KKR have the poorest powerplay economy among all the teams so far - 10.75. That is partly down to Mitchell Starc having a nightmare start to his IPL season. The fast bowler has been taken for a combined 100 runs and is yet to take a wicket. In conditions which might aid swing and seam, Starc will hope for better returns.
As will the batting pack with the exception of Andre Russell, Phil Salt and Venkatesh Iyer.
[Tag credit - Sutapasima]
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