Axar Patel could hide his disappointment behind his sunny demeanor, but the points table accurately depicted Delhi Capitals’ dire circumstances following their last-ball loss to Mumbai Indians. NRR of -1.576 after four games played and four losses. A team at the bottom of the standings may find an away game to be a tedious prospect at this time because they will have to plan around the peculiarities of a new venue and the opponent’s style of play. Bengaluru should be able to provide some comfort in that regard.
Matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium might easily come down to whether the team can throw the proverbial kitchen sink furthest, as Lucknow Super Giants demonstrated earlier in the week. And that ought to help the visitors, who have had trouble with their batting pace, clear off some of that muck. Better if it aids in freeing David Warner from his restrictions. The Delhi captain’s strike rate for 209 runs this season is a pitiful 114.83. Contrast that with his 453 runs at 168.40 SR from eight T20s matches at this location, one of which also added some extra luster to his individual trophy cupboard.
On the other side, RCB can boast that they have played solid batting in two of their three games thus far. However, in this setting, the word “well” might also signify “not well enough” when examined through the lens of the other innings. However, early-season victories for the Big Three—Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell—can only be good news.
Their death bowling, though, continues to be sloppy as usual, and everyone is eagerly awaiting Wanindu Hasaranga’s comeback following two straight games in which 200+ scores were allowed. The RCB have two games in three days at this venue, and if they don’t make the most of their familiarity or their strong offensive and defensive starts, they’ll spend the rest of the season playing catch-up.
When: April 15, 15:30 IST, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Delhi Capitals, IPL 2023
Where: Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
What to anticipate Another game of bats vs balls with no distinct idea of a par score. So pay attention to those strike rates and slowdowns once more. But beware of the spinners, who have performed admirably in these first two games. The first-afternoon match of the year will be played here on a brand-new surface. The Capitals don’t appear to be in the ideal position to take advantage of the aid should it take a turn. They presently have the poorest spin bowling record in the league, having taken just three wickets in four games at an average of 75.33.
Head-to-head, RCB 17-10 DC. Additionally, the Royal Challengers have triumphed in each of their last three meetings with the Capitals.
A team watch
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Ideally, Wanindu Hasaranga should enter the XI right away. As a result, RCB will be forced to select between David Willey and Wayne Parnell for the position of a fourth overseas player.
Matchups & Tactics:
In IPL 2023, Delhi Capitals have struggled against the leg spin, losing 11 wickets in 4 games. From that perspective, the return of the Sri Lankan all-rounder for RCB, who can intensify this line of attack by combining him with Karn Sharma, could not be more timely.
Shahbaz Ahmed, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, and Faf du Plessis make up the probable XI.
Delhi Capitals
After getting married, Mitchell Marsh returned to the team. On game day, he enjoyed a sustained hit in the nets and should be reinserted into the starting lineup. In order to fill the position of a left-arm seamer, Delhi may have to bench Mustafizur Rahman and bring back Khaleel Ahmed.
Matchups & Tactics:
Axar Patel may be a possibility to bowl at the two openers in the PowerPlay before they get set. Faf du Plessis (SR 129) and Virat Kohli (SR 100) are not the quickest scorers against left-arm orthodox spin bowling.
Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw, Manish Pandey, Mitchell Marsh, Rilee Rossouw/Rovman Powell, Lalit Yadav, Abhishek Porel (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, and Khaleel Ahmed/Mukesh Kumar make up the probable XI.
