Delhi Capitals’ defeat in the first game of the IPL against the Chennai Super Kings has made them face Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday in Visakhapatnam, hopefully with match-winners in all their players. Unstable was the beginning of their marathon, with three defeats right at the start of the season. However, they managed to come back hard with an audacious victory over industry leader CSK, propelling them forward in the competition. The franchise called off the storm, and as if to cheer them, their skipper, Rishabh Pant, scored a magnificent half-century.
It should be emphasised that the Kolkata Knight Riders cannot be categorised as resounding favourites; however, Delhi Capitals will have to secure another masterpiece performance in order to remove them away. KKR batting demonstrated its potency in the previous match against the RCB by overwhelming their bowlers and taking the trophy home. This win has made them the second-most successful team this season after their first win on March 29.
The load is piled up on the shoulders of young Prithvi Shah and the experienced player David Warner by the Delhi Capitals. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant, who plays domestic games for the Delhi Daredevils, has earned acclaim for delivering brutal wicket-taking blows. But before he could display his lethal capacity, the skipper was initially critical for two to three innings. Finally, he outclassed everybody and scored his first fifty of this season (51 off 32 balls ) and restored his form.
Whether DC will be successful or not will hugely depend on the role played by South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs and Australia’s Mitchell Marsh, who will be utilised to destroy the bowlers with their batting aggression. On the other side, while the Nationals might experience some difficulties during the innings with no home team impact players, they make up for it by sheer strength of talent and grit.
Contrary to this, KKR’s recent performances can be described as spectacular. The team has won both of its matches this season. The roster of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s opening batsmen, Phil Salt, Andre Russell and the promising talent Venkatesh Iyer, starts to look hefty as they’ve been in great form, thus providing a challenge for the rivals’ pacers.
In the clash of teams, as the stage comes closer to the spectators, what heat fans get excited about is the performances of the main leaders, including, of course, Gautam Gambhir, who is the top scorer in DC Vs. Throughout this rivalry, KKR matches have been looked up to and provided by notable bowlers like Umesh Yadav and Sunil Narine, who have thought and attained remarkable results in this rivalry.
As two of the top contenders for the title, both DC and KKR will look to sustain their winning momentum. This battle could become a highly palatable contest in which the fans will barely breathe as they experience continued anxiety.
