Indian Premier League 2019 Match 10, Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders: Preview, likely XIs, predictions

Delhi Capitals will host Kolkata Knight Riders for Match 10 of IPL 2019. With two wins in two matches, and a net run rate of +0.834, Kolkata sit at the top of the points table in IPL 2019. Kolkata had chased down 182 against Sunrisers Hyderabad before posting 218/4 against Kings XI Punjab.

Nitish Rana currently holds the Orange Cap, Robin Uthappa is third on the list, while Andre Russell’s 97 runs (once out) have come at a whopping strike rate of 269. He has also picked up 4 wickets. One must remember that KKR’s spinners – Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, and Piyush Chawla – form an attack as varied as they are potent.

Delhi, on the other hand, boast of Rishabh Pant (strike rate 257) and Shikhar Dhawan for batting, and the pair of Kagiso Rabada and Ishant Sharma for pace. They also have excellent spinners in Amit Mishra, and Axar Patel, and Rahul Tewatia.

It is going to rain sixes on this relatively small Kotla ground. With serious big hitters on both sides, this is going to be a high-scoring contest.

Head to head

Kolkata hold a 13-8 advantage over Delhi. This includes a 1-1 result last season, the sides winning at their respective home grounds.

Kolkata had put up 200/9 at Eden Gardens, Nitish Rana scoring 59 off 35 balls and Russell bludgeoning for his 12-ball 41. Rahul Tewatia took 3/18. In response, Delhi were shot out for 129 by Narine (3/18) and Kuldeep (3/36).

And at Kotla, Prithvi Shaw (62 in 44) and Shreyas Iyer (93* in 40) took Delhi to 219/4. Kolkata ambled to 164/9 (Mishra 2/23, Avesh Khan 2/29).

Key players

Kagiso Rabada (Delhi Capitals): Back to his most dangerous avatar, Rabada has taken 3 wickets from 2 matches in this IPL. That doesn’t sound a lot, but he has conceded a mere 6.39 an over. Delhi will back him to run through, or at least stifle, the KKR top order.

Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders): Russell, as mentioned above, has a strike rate of 269 in this tournament, and only Yuzvendra Chahal has more wickets. Russell had turned things around in both matches, and will be waiting to deliver a third time.

Likely XIs

Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Colin Ingram, Keemo Paul, Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Shubhman Gill, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna.

Prediction

Kolkata seem marginally ahead in this potential sixfest.