DC Vs SRH, Match Preview
The team on top during the first leg is facing the team on the bottom of the table. Both sides had contrasting fortunes in the first leg. One was consistent throughout, while the other couldn’t find the right combination, and switched captains’ mid-way.
For the Delhi Capitals, they will be buoyed by the return of Shreyas Iyer, who missed out in the first leg. His inclusion will allow them to play two overseas pacers, and will give them a better balance in the squad. They also have Ashwin, who missed the final few games in the first leg after taking a break. He will also be high on spirit after returning to the World Cup squad.
For Hyderabad, David Warner is likely to be back in the eleven, after getting dropped in the first leg. They will be without Jonny Bairstow, which has given SRH a chance to play Hyderabad’s adopted son again. T Natarajan is a big return for SRH, after he missed most of the first leg due to a knee surgery. With one win in seven games, SRH have a lot of work to do, if they are to make the playoffs.
DC Vs SRH, Team News
SRH have brought in Shane Rutherford for Jonny Bairstow. He is a middle-order batter, but may not get a chance straightaway. With Bairstow out, SRH are likely to go back to David Warner, giving him another chance to prove himself.
Delhi Capitals have Iyer back in, and he is likely to slot in at number three. His return will likely result in the exclusion of Steve Smith. With an overseas slot vacant, Delhi now have the option of going back to their UAE success pair in Nortje and Rabada.
DC Vs SRH, Predicted XIs
Delhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Avesh Khan
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Kane Williamson (capt), 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Jason Holder/ Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 T Natarajan, 11 Sandeep Sharma
DC Vs SRH, Players to Watch out for
Shreyas Iyer
The Delhi Capitals is already in a good position, but will be excited by the return of a star player. Shreyas Iyer returns after a shoulder injury, but as a player, and not captain. With Iyer in the eleven, the Capitals will benefit with an extra overseas slot, that could go to Nortje. They will also have a player who is solid in the middle-overs, and can be aggressive when needed. Iyer will also have the added motivation after missing out on the World Cup squad, due to injury and lack of game time.
David Warner
Its not often that a city adopts a foreign sports star as one of their own. David Warner has won immense respect in Hyderabad, and his name is synonymous to the city. His status is nearly on par with Dhoni in Chennai, or Kohli in Bangalore, and has also showed his love for the region on social media. He knew about his poor form in the first leg, and took complete responsibility while stepping down from captaincy, and dropping himself. With an opportunity ahead of him, Warner will know what is in store. He will be desperate for runs to save his side, as he has been the backbone of SRH for a long time. His form is crucial if SRH are to stand any chance at making a comeback.
DC Vs SRH, Pitch Report The Dubai surface has been balanced so far, with games yielding middling to high scores. The ground has large boundaries, and bowling has help in the ground. The surface has kept low over parts of the innings, bringing spin into play. Pacers with variations are also in favour on the surface.
