DELHI VS PUNJAB
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The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League has gotten off to a great start, with six humdingers already played. Many of the teams seem to be well-balanced, and most of the games are going down to the wire. Each of the eight teams has already achieved success, with the exception of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals both lost disappointingly after strong starts in their respective matches. They will now face off in the North-Indian derby, which will take place on April 18th, 2021 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The surface of Mumbai is ideal for the tactics employed by these two parties. Both teams have a lot of fast bowlers who like to hit the deck and swing the ball early in the game. The match has all of the ingredients for a great meal, and a humdinger of a match is almost guaranteed.
TEAM PREVIEWS
DELHI CAPITALS
Just as the Delhi Capitals appeared unstoppable following their crushing loss to Chennai Super Kings, their flaws were revealed by a spirited Rajasthan Royals side. The absence of Shreyas Iyer in the middle order was felt heavily in their previous match, with wickets falling at regular intervals. The Capitals now seem to be a top-heavy team, and contributions from the middle-order will be critical if they are to succeed.
Surprisingly, the Delhi Capitals looked like a stronger team in the first match, despite missing some main players. Although the return of Kagiso Rabada bolstered the Capitals on paper, he crumbled in the death overs against Chris Morris. Tom Curran, who struggled to deliver on the strategy and was tonked for runs, was another culprit for the Capitals. Chris Woakes, on the other hand, was a silver lining for them, as he scored both at the death and in the powerplay. Given the Capitals’ struggles with death bowling, we expect Anrich Nortje to replace Tom Curran in this match.
On the batting front, the Delhi Capitals are also suffering from a lack of firepower in the centre, which was evident in their most recent match. With Iyer out, the onus is now on Rishabh Pant, who, despite his good form, will struggle to keep the team together if they lose early wickets. Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, on the other hand, have been impressive at the end.
PUNJAB KINGS
It wasn’t long ago that the Kings seemed to have found success with their new moniker. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, gave them a wake-up call in their most recent match, in which they were easily defeated. The defeat exposed a few flaws that the Kings would like to address moving forward in the tournament. They have the power and energy, and it will be fascinating to see how they do in the upcoming matches.
The quality of Punjab Kings’ opening pair was their biggest strength last season. It was so amazing that even Chris Gayle couldn’t find a spot in the top two and had to settle for one-down. Punjab’s opening pair, on the other hand, hasn’t been a shadow of what they were last year. Mayank Agarwal seems to be having a difficult time, which has placed a lot of pressure on KL Rahul. Since the IPL is such a fast-paced tournament, we could see Chris Gayle switch places with Mayank Agarwal.
Punjab Kings bought a couple of fast bowlers at the auction, which should have improved their bowling, but it hasn’t yet. Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson are expensive players who must quickly adjust to Indian conditions. Moreover, Punjab’s tactic of fielding just five bowlers does not seem to be effective, and to add insult to injury, Nicholas Pooran does not appear to be in top shape. Following Shahrukh Khan’s strong performance in the previous match, the Kings could consider substituting Moises Henriques for Nicholas Pooran to provide more balance to the team.
On paper, Kings XI Punjab have one of the best top-orders in the league. However, they have been found lacking in terms of execution, and in the upcoming match, they will need something unique from their middle-order. Punjab already has a few positives in Mohammad Shami, Shahrukh Khan, and Deepak Hooda, which they would like to expand on. Punjab Kings would be a difficult team to beat if they can find their balance and perform to their full potential.