The IPL 2024 season is gaining momentum rapidly. Led by Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals will be hosting their first home game of the campaign as Sanju Samson’s Kolkata Knight Riders visit Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2024. The match is set to begin at 8:30 PM.
Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant resumed captaincy duties after missing the previous IPL season. Capitals finished second from the bottom in the IPL 2023. Delhi has won their last three matches against KKR.
Kolkata Knight Riders: KKR hits the road for the first time this season after playing their opener at home against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Kolkata finished seventh in the standings of the previous IPL season. This marks their first visit to the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
Betting Tips: Last season, Delhi started poorly with five consecutive losses. However, they turned things around by securing their first win against Kolkata Knight Riders in their sixth match. This victory initiated a streak of four wins in five matches for Delhi, making them a favorable pick in the match winner market.
Delhi Capitals have momentum on their side against KKR, having won their last three encounters. In their 2023 IPL meeting, Delhi chased down Kolkata’s total of 127 with four wickets in hand.
However, the chase wasn’t without its challenges for Delhi, and it was completed only in the final over. David Warner’s contribution of 57 runs played a crucial role in Delhi’s victory, making him a key option as Delhi’s top batsman. Delhi boasts a well-balanced batting lineup, with the likes of Mitchell Marsh and returning captain Rishabh Pant, along with new signing Harry Brook. Their depth in batting should carry them to victory.
For Delhi this season, much will depend on Pant’s contribution with the bat, as he will captain but not keep wicket in the early part of the season. If he can quickly regain his prolific form, Delhi’s new-look lineup has considerable potential.
Kolkata Knight Riders possess strong assets, with Jason Roy and Andre Russell performing well against Delhi last season. However, the rest of the lineup struggled on the Delhi pitch, which could favor the home team once again. This being Delhi’s second consecutive home match in Visakhapatnam, they should be accustomed to the conditions.
Top Delhi Capitals Player: David Warner Warner’s past performance against KKR indicates he can make a significant contribution. As he no longer bears the burden of captaincy, the reliable and attacking Aussie opener is expected to shine. Warner is Delhi’s highest run-scorer against Kolkata, with 456 runs.
Top Kolkata Knight Riders Player: Shreyas Iyer Iyer could be the star performer with the bat for Kolkata Knight Riders. With a good track record against Delhi, he has scored 552 runs in previous encounters. KKR will heavily rely on their captain’s performance in this challenging away match.
Recent Form (L to R): DC – WLLWL
KKR – WWLWL
Weather Forecast: Visakhapatnam The day is expected to be warm with temperatures in the mid-30s and clear skies, favoring the opening batsmen. There is only a 10% chance of rain, with wind gusts up to 30km/h. The temperature is likely to decrease to 77°F during the night.
Pitch Report: Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium The pitch at this stadium is challenging for batsmen, offering assistance to both spinners and pace bowlers. Batsmen face difficulty generating power on this slow pitch, making boundary hitting challenging, which could benefit Delhi Capitals with their varied bowling attack.
Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders Probable Playing XIs: Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant, Harry Brook, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Anrich Nortje/ Jhye Richardson, Khalil Ahmed
Kolkata Knight Riders: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, Chetan Sakariya, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora
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