Desperate DC seek end to horror run at home
Delhi Capitals will need to stop oscillating between sublime and suicidal to overcome their streak of three painful losses at home when they take on an equally desperate Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday.
Both sides are on eight points from nine games and with five matches remaining, there is no room left for error.
The Capitals put up a clinical batting performance in Jaipur on Friday night to get a welcome win after a hat-trick of defeats. Two of those losses came at home, causing immense hurt in the dressing room as Punjab Kings chased down a record 265 before Royal Challengers Bengaluru exposed their fragile batting against a potent pace attack.
The defeats at Kotla also include a harrowing one-run loss to Gujarat Titans, a game that DC should have definitely won.
The biggest positives going for DC heading into the CSK game is opener Pathum Nissanka finding his range alongside the ever-consistent KL Rahul, while speedster Mitchell Starc providing the much-needed bite to the bowling attack.
No Dhoni yet, Gaikwad’s return to form a big boost: Ahead of their 10th game of the season, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed to PTI that MS Dhoni has not yet regained full fitness, ruling him out of the game at Kotla.
Like DC, CSK too are walking on a tightrope and if they slip on Tuesday night, it would ensure another premature exit from the tournament, having finished at the bottom last season.
The lack of runs from skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s bat cost them dearly in the first half of the season, with Sanju Samson alone carrying the burden in a rather young-looking batting lineup.
But the captain has found a way to get back amongst the runs and goes into the DC game at the back of consecutive half-centuries.
Urvil Patel batting at number three ahead of Sarfaraz Khan after injured Aayush Mhatre’s pullout has been debated.
A 12-ball 14 in the win over the Mumbai Indians would do wonders for Patel’s confidence. Same goes for Kartik Sharma, who struck his maiden IPL fifty on Saturday night.
Two of CSK’s four wins have come against a struggling Mumbai Indians, while one was against DC at the Chepauk. Gaikwad and Co. would carry the confidence of that performance in the return leg.
