No one is afraid of Travishek. Aside from Mitchell Starc, perhaps. After taking a strike and being bowled for a two-ball duck by the massive left-arm fast in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2024, Travis Head let Abhishek Sharma to take the first strike in the final, and you know what happened next.
Travis Head dislikes playing against Starc.
Starc is now playing for a different side, and on Sunday afternoon, he will face Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) formidable opening duo once more. The Delhi Capitals (DC) bowling team, which also comprises Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Mukesh Kumar, would greatly benefit if Starc could have the same kind of effect. These three were the targets of Head and Abhishek’s assault last season, which sent SRH reeling to a record IPL powerplay score of 125 for 0. It happened in Delhi. This time, the action moves to Visakhapatnam, where DC recently defeated the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in an incredible comeback victory. In contrast, SRH recently suffered a loss to the same opponents.
Resilience was the foundation of DC’s first victory. Despite allowing LSG to reach a frightening 161 for 2 in 13 overs, they fought back with the ball to limit them to 209. With three balls remaining, they barely made it past their target after rallying from 66 for 5 with the bat. They refused to let up even after losing both powerplays and both post-powerplay phases.
That tenacity will be crucial as they aim for a second victory with new knowledge on SRH containment. DC has the manpower to duplicate LSG’s successful technique of treating the entire 20 overs like the death. Axar and Kuldeep contribute another year of wisdom, while Mohit Sharma and Mukesh possess the necessary skill sets.
However, DC has its own set of issues. They cannot continue to rely on their lower order to save them after their top order misfired against LSG. DC will need to choose how to best accommodate new father KL Rahul in their lineup as he prepares to make his franchise debut. Additionally, they will be cautious of an SRH unit that will be eager to demonstrate that Thursday’s defeat was an isolated incident.
Team updates and probable XIIs
Rahul is anticipated to start at No. 4, most likely taking Sameer Rizvi’s place. After suffering an ankle strain against LSG, Mukesh’s participation is still in doubt, and T Natarajan, who is recuperating from a shoulder injury, is not expected to play against his old team. The replacement for Mukesh might be Darshan Nalkande. Retaining Rizvi, benching Fraser-McGurk, and adding quick bowler Dushmantha Chameera is an additional option.
Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel (week), KL Rahul, Axar Patel (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar/Darshan Nalkande, and 12 others are the Delhi Capitals.
The SRH camp has no injury concerns, so they may start with the same lineup.
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (week), Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Simarjeet Singh, and Adam Zampa are the Sunrisers Hyderabad lineup.
The big question
Rahul works best where? Given that it’s his strongest position (at least five innings) in terms of both average (49.08) and strike rate (139.90), number four seems to be the most likely choice.
Rahul earned his name in the format as an opener, though, and it was from this position that he once hit the fastest fifty in the IPL at the time, a 14-ball fifty. Is there a reason Rahul should take Faf du Plessis’ place at the top now that Fraser-McGurk is struggling?
Kuldeep Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy are in the spotlight.
Kuldeep Yadav had a terrible start against SRH in Delhi last season, as Abhishek blasted him for four sixes in his first seven deliveries. Abhishek, Head, Aiden Markram, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, three of whom will play on Saturday, were dismissed in response. Although he gave up 55 runs in four overs, his innovations kept SRH from surpassing their final score of 266. If Head starts threateningly against the new ball, Kuldeep might be sent on early. Head, in particular, has showed symptoms of struggling against left-arm wristspin, being dismissed twice in nine balls against that bowling style in the IPL. LSG’s dynamic lineup can only be contained by taking wickets, as they demonstrated against SRH.
Even though SRH is playing this game “away” in Visakhapatnam, Nitish Kumar Reddy will feel completely at home in his hometown. He has been identified by SRH as a long-term player, and he has scored 32 and 30 to start the season. Reddy, who is positioned between Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan at No. 4, is a formidable opponent of spin, as seen by his IPL strike rate of 170.19 since the beginning of 2024.
Conditions and pitch
A score of 200 runs or more in the first innings should be expected because the pitch is batting-friendly and the game is in the afternoon. In Visakhapatnam, the side that bats first has won half of all IPL games. Here in the IPL, the last three first-inning totals have been 191, 272, and 209.
Important statistics
Seven innings, eight runs, 29 balls, five dismissals, and zero boundaries characterise Head vs. Starc in all recognised cricket matches. One has been caught behind, while four of the five dismissals have been bowled.
Faf du Plessis, who has amassed 106 runs in 61 balls for just two dismissals, has a positive matchup against Mohammed Shami in the IPL. But Shami has been outstanding against KL Rahul, bowling him twice and letting just 28 runs be scored in 31 balls.
Axar Patel had an economy rate of 9.07 against left-handers in the IPL, but only 6.51 against right-handers.
The next three games
Before playing the Mumbai Indians at home on April 13, DC will travel to play the Chennai Super Kings on April 5 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10.
Before facing the Gujarat Titans on April 6 and the Punjab Kings on April 12, SRH will travel to Kolkata to play the Kolkata Knight Riders on April 3.
Sayings
“KL Rahul’s return to the team would greatly improve our balance. However, you cannot evaluate a squad only on a single game. We should win this game because all of our players are very skilled and seasoned.
Despite their first wobble against LSG, DC all-rounder Vipraj Nigam had complete faith in their top order.
“We have [nearly] reached the 300 target set by the press, [with totals of] 286, 287. You can’t predict when it will occur. To get it there, two batters must score a lot. In cricket, nothing is impossible.
Muthiah Muralidaran, the bowling coach for SRH, is pleased that his squad is being regarded as the most likely to surpass the 300-mark in the IPL.
India
