Match 16 of IPL 2024 will see Delhi Capitals take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the beautiful ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Delhi can go level on points with KKR, now one of the only two teams yet to face a defeat in the
Venue: ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
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The Capitals secured their maiden victory of the season, edging out Chennai Super Kings by 20 runs last Sunday in an emotional encounter. The standout performances were Rishabh Pant’s comeback fifty post-injury and MS Dhoni’s classic assault, which Delhi’s bowlers admirably survived. Facing the Knight Riders next, Delhi’s prospects for consecutive wins look bright, given their eight wins in the last 11 encounters against KKR.
Delhi’s openers, David Warner and Prithvi Shaw, provided a solid start against Chennai, highlighting the opening partnership as a key strength. However, Pant faces the challenge of managing over rates, already having suffered one penalty for slowness, with the risk of suspension looming with any further infractions.
Kolkata, under the guidance of ex-Delhi captain and now mentor Gautam Gambhir, started the competition on a high, with consecutive victories, including a notable win in Bengaluru. Kolkata’s morale is high at the moment and will be confident of claiming victory. Andre Russell’s all-around prowess, Shreyas Iyer’s leadership post-injury, and Harshit Rana’s impressive five-wicket haul have been instrumental in their strong start.
Players to watch: Prithvi Shaw marked his return to Delhi’s playing XI with a fluent 42 off 21 balls in their last match. His scoring form could continue, as he averages 45 at a rate of 10.08 runs per over against Kolkata in nine matches that include five scores of 50 and above.
Sunil Narine has taken a wicket each in the two matches this season, but his record suggests he could struggle to make an impact here. The spinner failed to take a wicket in six of his last nine matches against Delhi. The Prithvi vs Narine battle won’t help the bowler, as the stats are currently skewed in favour of Shaw: 47 off 31 balls without getting dismissed.
Key Stats
The Delhi Capitals have posted the highest opening partnership of the match in eight of the last 11 matches against Kolkata.
Kolkata are hitting 13.50 sixes per game, among the highest in this IPL, but they are also conceding 13 sixes per game, among the worst.
Axar Patel’s economies this season (runs per over): 6.25, 5.25, and 6.67.
His numbers could be decimated if he bowls at Andre Russell, who has an SR of 11.57rpo, scoring 54 runs off 28 balls with four sixes and fours each.
An Indian bowler has ended up being Delhi’s top bowler (wickets followed by economy) in their three matches this season.
David Warner has scored at a rate of 10.03 runs per over in the powerplays this season.
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