Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals, IPL 2020, Match 42: Fantasy Preview

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in Match 42 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Saturday (October 24). The last time these two sides met in IPL 2020 was in Sharjah, when DC registered an 18-run win after putting on 228 on the board. Since then, DC have won 4 out of their six games and sit on the top of the points table, while KKR have won 3 out of six and are just about clinging on to fourth place.

While Kolkata have the edge having won 13 out of the 24 matches between the two sides, recent history suggests that DC have been far ahead of their opponents, having won four continuous matches.

IPL HEAD-TO-HEAD 

Overall: Matches – 24 | KKR – 13 Wins | DC – 11 Wins

Last 5 Matches: KKR – 1 Wins | DC– 4 Wins

Suggested TeamsWhile 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 come up with six different teams that could fetch crucial points.

Ground details

As many as 14 matches have been played in Abu Dhabi and its 50-50 when it comes to teams winning batting first and second. KKR have played five matches here and have won three, while DC have lost both their games. 

The bating run-rate at Sheikh Zayed Stadium is 7.7 – the lowest among three venues. However, while the venue is the best for runs per wicket ratio (29.9), it is the worst when it comes to balls per wicket ratio (23.2).

There was a tinge of green on the surface when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) took on KKR in the previous match here, that saw the Kolkata-based franchise score just 84 for 8, batting first. If the pitch is similar, we can expect the pacers to wreak havoc in the early stages – like Mohammed Siraj did for RCB – and then set themselves up for the game beautifully. As a result, it might not be a bad idea to chase.

Having said that, Abu Dhabi has a great venue for spinners, having picked up 33.6% of the wickets to fall, similar to Dubai (34.7%) but far better than Sharjah (23.2%). Hence at least one quality spinner in your fantasy team might help you get valuable points. Both KKR and DC are certainly not short in that department.

There could be a few interesting match-ups too.

Eoin Morgan took a special liking towards Kagiso Rabada in their recent clash on October 3, wherein the KKR skipper smashed IPL 2020’s leading wicket-taker for 31 off just eight deliveries, which included four sixes and a four. Largely due to this innings, Morgan has a strike-rate of over 290 against the South African pacer in the shortest format.

Rishabh Pant is just getting back into the groove with DC after returning from injury as he tries to push his team into the playoffs. His international teammate, Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand has not had much of an impact in the tournament. The Chinaman has picked up a solitary wicket in his five appearances so far, but that could all change when he comes up against DC – more so against Pant, who he has dismissed twice in four innings, conceding at a strike-rate of a shade under 110. Pant this year has not been in great form against spin in T20s striking at well under 100 (96.51) against them.

With four wickets in two matches, New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson has turned into a hot property in IPL 2020, as has Shikhar Dhawan who recently became the first player in the history of the tournament to score back-to-back hundreds. The duo have clashed just once in the IPL and thrice for their respective national teams. While Dhawan seems to be having an upper hand with a strike-rate of 144.4, Ferguson too has not been far behind in catching up, having dismissed the southpaw twice in four innings. With both players in form, it makes for an interesting contest.

Former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir has gone in for a pace-heavy side for this match. Here's a quick look:

Captain selection

Shikhar Dhawan goes into this match with two back-to-back centuries and is now this season’s second highest run-getter with 465 runs at a strike-rate of 149.03. Other than the century, Dhawan has also scored a couple of fifties from his 10 innings and has surely been the more reliable opener between him and Prithvi Shaw. He loves playing against KKR, having scored 682 runs at 29.65. In fact, before this IPL, Dhawan’s highest score in the tournament came against KKR, when he scored an unbeaten 97 at the Eden Gardens last year. We could very well see yet another high-scoring knock from the DC opener.

Our Criclytics player projector predicts Dhawan could score 17-40 runs in this match.

X-Factors

There is no way your fantasy team is complete without Kagiso Rabada. Rabada has been the lynchpin behind DC’s success this season, picking up wickets almost at will in most matches. He is yet to go wicketless this season. His death bowling has been second to none He has the most wickets between overs 16 and 20 (14) and has done so at an economy rate of 8.6, average of 9.6 and bowling strike-rate of 6.7 all of which point towards the fact that you cannot do without the South African quick in your team. 

Our Criclytics player projector predicts Rabada could pick up 1-2 wickets in this match.

Lockie Ferguson would certainly be licking his fingers at the chance of bowling in Abu Dhabi once again. KKR did not have enough runs on the board in their previous match against RCB to really force the issue, but there was a hint of green on the surface and Ferguson might look to exploit that. His four wickets this season have come at am economy rate of four, average of eight and strike-rate of 12 – ideal numbers in every imaginable way possible for a fantasy team.

Our Criclytics player projector predicts Ferguson could pick up 0-1 wickets in this match.

60% of Eoin Morgan’s innings this season, has resulted in him getting past 30. While he does not have a fifty yet this season, with the season on the line, this could very well be the match in which Morgan takes charge and scores a big one. Despite timing the ball well, Morgan failed to find the gaps in the previous match here, but he seemed to be in total control during his stay at the crease, which might bode well for him this time around. 

Our Criclytics player projector predicts Morgan could score 10-27 runs in this match.