There is no clarity on Iyer’s availability for the crash.
Having met earlier in the season, the paths of Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings have been contrasting. Delhi has twice the points (12) of Chennai in as many games (8) and is looking for a place in the play-offs, which Chennai risks missing out if it continues to fall further.
Delhi managed a victory against the Rajasthan Royals, but not much has changed for them since that victory. The positives of the bowling attack were exceptional and Shikhar Dhawan improved his game, many of the problems that existed before the start of that game still remain. And they all focus on his injury concerns, which were only compounded by Shreyas Iyer injuring his shoulder mid-game. With no clarity on the availability of Rishabh Pant, the plague of injuries that haunts Delhi Capitals will be their biggest test of the season.
Chennai, on the other hand, has come close to correcting their combinations and tactics throughout the season. He helped them win a major clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, in which almost all of their key players lived up to expectations.
The challenge against Delhi will be how they handle the fighting. Last time, Delhi was able to get a couple of important ones going for it, like using Axar Patel in the power play to land Shane Watson. But many things have changed since then.
When: Saturday October 17, 2020 at 7:30 PM IST
Where: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
What to expect: Shooting in Sharjah has become considerably slower throughout the tournament. Small limits will still favor hitters, but there is more to it than an appearance of even competition. But again, this could mean that the team that hits first will have a significant advantage in the absence of dew. The draw could play a crucial factor.
Team news
Capitals of Delhi
Injuries have ended many of his best plans so far this season. To its credit, Delhi has managed to overcome these setbacks so far. But do they have enough backing if they miss out on both Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant? Unlikely. Pant, wearing protective bands around his thigh, did some fitness tests before his previous game and looked in good spirits. If Iyer loses, there could be a direct change from the previous game.
Likely XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane / Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey / Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, R Ashwin, Anrich Nortje, Tushar Deshpande
Super Kings of Chennai
Why would you want to change a winning combination, especially after the group achieved a victory that greatly pleased the captain? The fighting and the size of the terrain in Sharjah could be a factor, if CSK changes. With Delhi potentially having four lefties in the lineup, the extra leg spinner could make way for a hitter.
Likely XI: Faf du Plessis, Sam Curran, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Kedar Jadhav / Piyush Chawla, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Karn Sharma
Did you know
– An economy rate of 6.31 makes Delhi Capitals spinners the cheapest in IPL 2020
– Deepak Chahar has eliminated Prithvi Shaw four times in five innings. The only time he failed to do so was earlier in the season when Shaw was Man of the Match.
What they say
“I told the guys that I just wanted to keep them on for another week, we have to keep pushing hard for these next games. We have CSK and then KXIP. I don’t want us to get complacent and I take things for granted at this stage of the tournament because things are going well. I think when things are going well, it’s time to push a little harder, so that’s what we’ll be doing for the next week, but right now we all look forward to every challenge that comes our way, and we feel that if we play our best cricket, it will be difficult to win in all the games “- Ricky Ponting, Delhi Capitals Head Coach.
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