MATCH PREVIEW
Follow UsYou would have heard about the mid-life crisis, but what Delhi Capitals are going through at the moment is a mid-tournament crisis. They find themselves in the worst possible position, and at this point, all they are hoping is to simply come out of that mess.
But the road to recovery isn’t the easiest, starting with a clash against the in-form Lucknow Super Giants team away from home. Delhi’s top-order has faltered after showing signs of improvement against Chennai Super Kings in their earlier home fixture.
A lot of focus could be on Anrich Nortje, whose form might be a big worry for the Capitals’ setup. Up against them is a Lucknow side who are revitalised on the back of a crucial win over Gujarat Titans in a clash where they unearthed another bowling talent, Yash Thakur.
So, all of this only makes LSG favourites but IPL is a funny tournament.
LSG vs DC Head-to-Head
Overall - Games 3 | LSG 3 | DC 0
At Ekana - Game 1 | LSG 1 | DC 0
Venue and Condition Details
Out of the nine tosses at the venue, teams have opted to bat first five times, showing what the two captains would want to do on Friday (April 12). On six out of the nine occasions, teams batting first have won the clash.
The average first innings total at the venue is 159, but for teams to increase their probability of winning, they would have to target close to 170. While pacers have picked up more wickets (65), it is a venue generally known for its slow nature.
Spinners have picked up 47 wickets, but their economy rate of 6.8 is much better than pacers' 8.2. Expect the track to play on similar lines.
Weather Forecast
Lucknow is expected to be sultry, with a maximum temperature of 38° C, which will make a kebab out of the players. As it gets closer to the match time, expect some gusty wind, which could help both the batters and the bowlers.
Things to watch out for
Axar Patel’s quest to finding form
Axar Patel hasn’t started the tournament on a strong note. While he has done well to keep the economy rate under the lid, his wicket-taking ability has quickly started vanishing. Till Kuldeep Yadav was in the playing XI, that didn’t really hamper Delhi’s chances a lot but in the left-arm unorthodox spinner’s absence, it has affected the Capitals.
This year, Axar has averaged 29.8 with the ball, with an economy of over 7. But the catch here is that he has picked up only four wickets compared to the 11 wickets he picked up last year. On a slow turner in Lucknow, Axar could well and truly put his name back higher with wickets.
Axar’s worries don’t stop there. For someone who has had quite a bit of success with the bat in the previous year, Axar only averages 17 this year, with a strike rate of 121.4, scoring 51 runs off 42 deliveries. If Axar wants to be on that flight to the Caribbean, he will have to improve his current form.
All eyes on Devdutt Padikkal
When Lucknow traded in Devdutt Padikkal, they were looking at a top-class player who would add value to the franchise. But then they decided to use him in the worst possible manner, in the middle order, which has now completely negated his impact.
In four games this season, Padikkal’s scores read 7, 6, 9 and 0. Amongst all batters this season (min 4 games), the Lucknow No.3 has the worst record, averaging 5.5, with a strike rate of 82. It isn’t just restricted to this season; whenever Padikkal has batted in the middle order, the runs have not flow like a river; instead, they have been like raindrops.
The only solution to using Padikkal to his best potential is to make him bat at the top. In his IPL career, the southpaw has opened 36 times, scoring over 1000 runs as an opener, wherein he averages 29. His IPL best score - 101* - too came while he opened the batting.
Probable XIIs
Most likely, Lucknow are set to be without their X-factor bowler, Mayank Yadav, who walked off with an injury. While the injury might be very serious, don't expect him to make such a quick turn around. Barring that, both teams are set to play similarly.
Lucknow’s XII: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (c & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Naveen-ul-Haq, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Manimaran Siddharth (IP)
Delhi’s XII: David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Abishek Porel (IP), Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Sumit Kumar, Jhye Richardson, Anrich Nortje/Lizaad Williams, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed
Telecast and Streaming Details
The match will be live on Star Sports Network and live-streamed on Jio Cinema. The game will start at 7.30 PM, with the toss happening at 7:00 PM.
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