Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals lock horns in what promises to be an exciting contest. The winner of this tie could rise closer to the top at the halfway mark of the league phase of Indian Premier League 2019.
When the two teams faced each other in the reverse fixture, a super over was needed to pick out a winner. Going by that match, an exciting contest could be on the cards on Friday.
We take a look at some of the talking points ahead of the big game.
KKR all about Dre-Russ
Kolkata have done well in the IPL this season and deserve the second spot. They have lost two games so far – a crushing defeat against Chennai Super Kings and a narrow one against Delhi.
This game will be a test of character for Kolkata as it is against a team they have lost to earlier, right after they succumbed to a defeat against Chennai. It will be interesting to see how Dinesh Karthik’s men respond.
Andre Russell appeared to have hurt his wrist during his 44-ball 50 in a losing cause against Chennai. His participation against Delhi is still in doubt and his potential absence could come as a massive blow to the hosts.
To say that they have been reliant on the Windies star would be an understatement. Russell has practically carried his team to the second position.
The all-rounder has scored 257 runs in five innings this season and 150 of those have come in sixes alone. His average (128.5) and strike rate (212.39) are really impressive, but it does point to bigger issue.
What will Kolkata do when Russell hits a slump? Nitish Rana showed some initial spark, but failed to build on it. Chris Lynn impressed against Rajasthan Royals, chasing a low target. Robin Uthappa and captain Karthik have been average and Shubman Gill is yet to make a statement.
Carlos Brathwaite is most likely to replace Russell if his injury keeps him out. So, this game could truly test Kolkata’s character.
Rabada on a roll
23-year-old Kagiso Rabada has been the talk of the town thanks to an incredible start to his 2019 campaign. The youngster was retained by Delhi despite not featuring in a single game for them last season.
The current owner of the purple cap has scalped 11 wickets this season, two more than any other player. He has intimidated world class players like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers with his fiery pace and accuracy.
As always, the South African will be leading Delhi’s bowling attack, as he looks to build on his four-wicket haul against Royal challengers Bangalore.
It was Rabada who made the difference when KKR and Delhi took the game to the super over in their last face-off. The pacer removed Russell in the super over to help Delhi successfully defend a low score of just 10 runs.
It’s fair to say that all eyes will be on Rabada who seems hungry for more.
LIKELY XIs
KKR: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Shubman Gill, Andre Russell/Carlos Brathwaite, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Harry Gurney
DC: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Colin Ingram, Rishabh Pant (wk), Chris Morris, Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, Sandeep Lamichhane