Struggling DC take on formidable GT in reverse leg IPL game
Shaken by the abrupt suspension of their previous match due to the India-Pakistan conflict, a struggling Delhi Capitals will look to regroup and address bowling concerns when they face table-toppers Gujarat Titans in a reverse-leg IPL clash here on Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive.
If three defeats and a no-result due to rain in their last five games weren't enough, DC's previous fixture was called off midway following air raid alerts in neighbouring Jammu and Pathankot, prompting a week-long suspension of the league.
Although the tournament has resumed, several overseas players have not returned to complete their commitments, forcing franchises to make major adjustments to their squads.
DC, currently just outside the top four with 13 points from 11 matches, suffered a major setback with premier pacer Mitchell Starc deciding not to return for the remainder of the season. The Australian left-armer is the team's leading wicket-taker with 14 scalps, and his absence is a significant blow to DC's already slim playoff hopes.
In a bit of relief, the Capitals managed to secure the services of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who obtained the 'No Objection Certificate' from his national board on Friday.
An experienced IPL campaigner with 38 wickets at an economy of 7.84 in as many matches, Mustafizur will be expected to spearhead a struggling pace attack against a batting-heavy GT line-up.
The Axar Patel-led side has endured a disappointing run at home, managing just one win — that too via a Super Over — at the Arun Jaitley Stadium this season.
When the two teams last met on April 19, DC were blown away by Jos Buttler's 97 off 54 balls as GT chased down a 200-plus total with ease to win by seven wickets.
DC's problems have only deepened in recent outings. Their top and middle-order crumbled against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a rain-hit match, while their bowlers were hammered by Punjab Kings, who raced to 122 for one in just 10.1 overs before the game in Dharamsala was abandoned.
The pace attack, comprising Dushmantha Chameera and Mukesh Kumar, has struggled to deliver, making Mustafizur's role in providing early breakthroughs all the more crucial, especially against GT's in-form top order.
The batting unit has also been inconsistent. In their last completed outing, DC were reduced to 29 for five by SRH on May 5. They didn;t get to bat in the Dharamsala match.
The return of veteran opener Faf du Plessis comes as a boost for DC, who will hope that the top order — including Abishek Porel and Karun Nair — can put their recent struggles behind and fire against GT.
DC had experimented with Nair as an opener, but the move backfired as he was dismissed for a duck against SRH. Du Plessis and Porel have also failed to convert starts into substantial scores.
KL Rahul, the team's leading run-scorer this season, will have a crucial role to play along with skipper Axar. If the duo can lay a solid foundation, the likes of Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, and Ashutosh Sharma can provide the late flourish in the death overs.
GT, comfortably perched at the top of the table with 16 points from 11 games, have been a well-oiled unit this season.
Jos Buttler and South African pacer Kagiso Rabada have rejoined the squad, although the Englishman will not be available for GT's final league match against Chennai Super Kings due to national duty.
Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan, and Buttler have formed a formidable top order, all crossing the 500-run mark this season. Their consistent scoring at high strike rates has meant GT's middle order has largely remained untested, barring Sherfane Rutherford.
DC will need to strike early to expose that middle order and halt GT's momentum.
GT's bowling unit has matched their batting brilliance. Prasidh Krishna leads the IPL wicket charts with 20 scalps, while Mohammed Siraj (15 wickets) and left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore (14) have also delivered consistently, making GT a tough nut to crack on both fronts.
Teams:
Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel (c), Mustafizur Rahman, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Sameer Rizvi, Darshan Nalkande, Tripurana Vijay, Dushmantha Chameera, Faf du Plessis, T Natarajan, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Manvanth Kumar L, Madhav Tiwari.
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Kumar Kushagra (wk), Anuj Rawat (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Nishant Sidhu, Mahipal Lomror, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Arshad Khan, R Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Karim Janat, B Sai Sudharsan, Dasun Shanaka, Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gerald Coetzee, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Ishant Sharma, Kulwant Khejroliya, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan.
