FANTASY
Follow UsRishabh Pant's Delhi Capitals will take on KL Rahul's Punjab Kings in Match 11 of the India Premier League 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Sunday (April 18). The two sides suffered a defeat in their last encounters respectively.
Delhi lost a close game against Rajasthan Royals, while Punjab were blown away by Chennai Super Kings. The two franchises are yet to win an IPL title and would be desperate to lift the silverware this season. They won their respective season openers but couldn't build on that momentum.
IPL HEAD-TO-HEAD
Overall - Matches – 26 | Punjab – 15 Wins | Delhi – 11 Wins
Last five games - Punjab – 3 Wins | Delhi – 2 Wins
SUGGESTED TEAMS
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your own team from cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. Based on algorithms, we have come up with one team.
GROUND DETAILS AND TEAM COMBINATION
The first two matches played at the Wankhade Stadium were high scoring but that hasn't been the case in the last two games. There's a bit of movement with the new ball and the batsmen have struggled big time in the first six overs. Rajasthan and Delhi lost three wickets each in the powerplay on Thursday, while Punjab were reduced to 26/4 by the end of the powerplay. The batting in the second innings have been slightly easier, so it would be ideal to pick your top-order batsmen and frontline bowlers after the toss is done.
In IPL 2021, fast bowlers have been completely dominant at the Wankhade Stadium. They have picked up more wickets, which would be an understatement, and have been more economical. Pacers here have a strike rate of 16.3, while spinners have picked up a wicket every 60 deliveries. Punjab and Delhi have some outstanding seamers and it would be ideal to pick at least four of them. Punjab have a couple of left-handers in their XI, so it won't be a bad idea to have R Ashwin in your team as well. Meanwhile, Delhi could play one of Steve Smith, Sam Billings, or Shimron Hetmyer, and if that happens, you could pick them in your XI.
CAPTAIN SUGGESTION
KL Rahul has been simply brilliant since joining the Punjab-based franchise in 2018. Since then, no one has scored more IPL runs than him (2018). He has done so at an average of 54.54 which shows how incredibly consistent he has been. Rahul showed his class with a majestic 50-ball 91 against Rajasthan in the season opener for Punjab but was unfortunately run out for just 5 in the second encounter against Chennai. At times, he can also get you some valuable points with his wicketkeeping too.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Rahul could score 22-33 runs in this match.
X-FACTORS
The new ball will provide enough assistance to fast bowlers and that's where Mohammed Shami could prove to be lethal. Only Kagiso Rabada (57) and Jasprit Bumrah (49) have picked more wickets than Shami (43) in IPL since 2019. This season, the right-arm seamer has picked up four wickets in two matches at a strike rate of 12. The likes of Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane are slightly vulnerable against the moving ball and Shami could cause damage in the powerplay, as well as in the death overs.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Shami could take 0-1 wickets in this match.
Shikhar Dhawan has been incredibly consistent in the IPL over the years. The left-handed opener has averaged over 34 in every season since 2016. In some seasons, his batting strike rate might have been on the lower side, but that’s not a big worry in fantasy cricket. In IPL 2020, Dhawan averaged 44.1 and had a strike rate of 144.7, his best numbers across all seasons on both fronts. He began this season with a 54-ball 85 against CSK but was dismissed cheaply in the last game. On top of that, Dhawan could also fetch you some crucial points via his fielding, having taken six catches in two games.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Dhawan could score 22-33 runs in this match.
After missing DC’s first match of the season, Kagiso Rabada made his comeback against Rajasthan. He looked a bit rusty but still managed to pick up two wickets. He has been magnificent in the IPL, and during the 2020 edition, became the quickest bowler – in terms of matches – to reach 50 wickets in the tournament. He also won the Purple Cap last season, after having picked up 30 wickets. In his last 32 IPL matches, he has gone wicketless just thrice.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Shami could take 0-1 wickets in this match.
