🏏IPL 2024: Match 40 - DC vs GT at Delhi @ 7:30PM IST🏏 - Page 2

Batters To Watch(recent stats)

David Warner,  DC

9 M • 299 Runs • 33.22 Avg • 141.03 SR

Rishabh Pant,  DC

8 M • 254 Runs • 36.29 Avg • 150.29 SR

Shubman Gill,  GT

10 M • 466 Runs • 51.78 Avg • 164.66 SR

Sai Sudharsan,  GT

10 M • 408 Runs • 40.8 Avg • 136.91 SR

Bowlers To Watch(recent stats)

Khaleel Ahmed,  DC

10 M • 12 Wkts • 9.08 Econ • 19 SR

Kuldeep Yadav,  DC

7 M • 10 Wkts • 7.96 Econ • 15.6 SR

Mohit Sharma,  GT

9 M • 18 Wkts • 9.09 Econ • 10.77 SR

Rashid Khan,  GT

10 M • 10 Wkts • 7.97 Econ • 22.2 SR

From bowling the opposition out for 89 to being torn apart for 266 runs, the Delhi Capitals have been at two extremes. Not just these two games, but the season itself has been a bumpy ride for the Capitals who'll be seeking to put a stop to the inconsistency that has relegated them to the bottom half of the table. But despite the hammering they received at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, they can seek solace from the fact that their opponents on Wednesday - Gujarat Titans - are the very team against whom DC came up with a commanding bowling display.

Among the positives for DC has been the arrival of Jake Fraser-McGurk who has struck two fifties in three games, including the fastest half-century for the Delhi team in the IPL and the joint third-fastest overall. They'd also like to reflect on their batting in the previous game, especially the way SRH's managed to apply the brakes on DC despite their bright start in the chase.

"We've got to give credit to Sunrisers last game, they adjusted really well with their bowling. If you look back at the game, whenever they had the spinners on, we were right in the game, we were scoring really quickly. They changed it up, went back to their faster bowlers, they used the slower-ball bouncers really well. Natarajan was good with his bouncers and yorkers. They decided to try and close the game early rather than trying to stretch the game and have the better bowlers at the end," said head coach Ricky Ponting.

That's something the likes of Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar and Anrich Nortje can use as a reference and come up with a renewed plan of attack. The spinners have been really good for DC with Kuldeep Yadav delivering the strikes and Axar Patel tying one end up. But they'll want the pacemen to step up.

Meanwhile, the Titans' hot and cold journey has culminated in four wins out of eight games so far and they find themselves just outside the top five. But looking at their recent matches, apart from the batting collapse against DC, they have done reasonably well. They are the only side to defeat Rajasthan Royals and they also overcame Punjab Kings. But apart from Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan in the top order and important contributions from Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan with the bat in the lower middle order, the Titans have struggled with their batting balance.

The middle order batters (Nos. 4, 5 and 6) have scored a combined 334 runs for the Titans, which is the least among all teams in this IPL. The Titans also have the lowest run-rate (8.03) among all sides, have hit the least sixes (29), have only two individual fifty-plus scores (the joint second least) and are one of two sides who are yet to cross the 200-run mark this season (LSG being the other team). On a positive note, GT have taken the most wickets in the powerplay this season (15 wickets) and their spinners have had the most success among all teams (19 wickets) - DC is second with 18 - and they'll be eager to keep those positions intact while seeking a boost with their batting.

When: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans, Wednesday, April 24 at 19:30 IST

Where: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

What to expect: A high-scoring encounter, going by what transpired in the previous match here. A brief but heavy spell of showers disrupted the practice sessions for a while a day before the match but when the teams resumed, range and power-hitting was the first order of business for both teams. Expect more of that on match day.

Teams watch:

Delhi Capitals

Injuries/Availability: Apart from the unavailability of Mitchell Marsh, DC also missed Ishant Sharma in the previous game as he suffered back spasm just before the match. Ishant was present during training on Tuesday, sprinting for a while, throwing the medicine ball around and having a chat with physio Patrick Farhart. The update is that he is being assessed and a call on his participation will be taken closer to the game.

Tactics & Matchups: Khaleel Ahmed has had success against left-handers in this IPL, picking up five wickets, and he'll be a good option against the likes of Sai Sudharsan, David Miller and Rahul Tewatia. Between them, Nortje and Khaleel have dismissed Gill five times while the left-arm seamer has also accounted for Shahrukh Khan three times in 10 deliveries. Despite the unusual matchup, Axar Patel has dismissed Tewatia two times in 16 deliveries and has conceded only 13 runs.

Probable XI: Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar. [Impact sub: Abishek Porel]

Gujarat Titans

Injuries/Availability: The Titans do not have any injury concerns at the moment.

Tactics & Matchups: Tristan Stubbs has scored well against the pacers this season - 108 runs at a strike rate of 174.19 - and GT might look at using their spin options more against him. Rashid Khan and Mohit Sharma have good numbers against DC - 21 and 14 wickets respectively - and GT will be banking on them to deliver more success.

Probable XI: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Mohit Sharma. [Impact sub: Sandeep Warrier]

Did you know?

- Since IPl 2023, Delhi Capitals have lost 43 wickets in the powerplay, which is the most for any team. Punjab Kings are second with 42

- Gujarat Titans have the lowest run-rate in the powerplay this season (7.62). The combination of Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill hasn't worked too well for GT this season. They have batted in six opening partnerships and their highest stand is 36

- The Delhi Capitals pacers have a collective economy rate of 10.75, the highest among all teams in this IPL

What they said

"Abhishek has played number three for us on occasions in this tournament. He's a potential star of the future. He's learning every day but he's got a touch of class. I think with this impact model, you've got to be prepared to bat anywhere between 3 and 8. He batted nine for us against the Punjab Kings and played well. That goes to show that he was prepared" - Ricky Ponting effusive in his praise for Abishek Porel.

Thank you Raji for the thread and tagging me.  

Best wishes to both the teams.

Probable Best Players of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Shubman Gill  

Gujarat Titans’ skipper Shubman Gill could be the best batter in his side’s upcoming game against Delhi Capitals. With 466 runs in his last 10 matches, Gill has been in good form, and he will be keen on piling up the runs even further against Delhi Capitals. 

Probable Best Bowler: Mohit Sharma 

Gujarat Titans’ Mohit Sharma could be the best bowler in the upcoming clash against Delhi Capitals. With 18 wickets in his last nine matches, Mohit has looked to be in scintillating form, and his spell in the upcoming game could prove to be crucial as well. 

Thanks for the tag and thread, Raji!❤️