Eyeing a maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title, the fancied Delhi Capitals will face another litmus test in the form of a Kolkata Knight Riders unit brimming with optimism when the two sides lock horns in the second qualifier in Sharjah on Wednesday (October 13). Delhi Capitals failed in their first big test when they lost to Chennai Super Kings in the first qualifier and another defeat will mean there will be no more examination for the strong squad, led by India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Two-time winners KKR will no doubt take confidence from their victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Monday’s eliminator that dashed Virat Kohli’s hopes of winning an IPL title with his longstanding franchise. If the emphasis is on momentum and peaking at the right time then KKR will definitely fancy their chances in their next outing, notwithstanding their opponents’ resources and depth in lineup.
DC, who topped the league stage with as many as 10 wins for a total of 20 points, are well aware of the task that awaits them. Since Australian great Ricky Ponting took over as their coach, Delhi Capitals have grown from strength to strength as they finished second runners up in the 2019 edition before reaching the summit clash last year.
This year there aim is to do one better and win the title. They are one of the most balanced sides in the tournament with a formidable batting line-up and a potent pace attack that is aided by seasoned spinners including Ravichandran Ashwin.
We walk into the middle with only one mission in sight
Tonight, let’s put up a fight! @ivenkyiyer2512 @ShubmanGill #DCvKKR #AmiKKR #KorboLorboJeetbo #aamiKKR #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/s8luV2zcEl
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) October 13, 2021
On the bowling front, the South African pace duo of Kagiso Rabada (2020 purple cap winner) and Anrich Nortje has proved to a dream pair, having scalped 52 wickets together in 2020. Then there is speedster Avesh Khan, who has taken 23 wickets so far in this season of the tournament, and he will back himself to add to his tally against KKR.
It is easier said than done though, with Eoin Morgan’s side enjoying a massive reversal of fortunes in the Gulf after enduring a disastrous first half in India earlier this year. They just about managed to sneak into the playoffs at the expense of five-time defending champions Mumbai Indians, thanks to their better net run-rate.
On a pitch offering turn, KKR’s spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy (16 wickets so far) and Sunil Narine, who is on a high after his superb all-round performance against RCB, will look to test the formidable Delhi batting lineup.
Teams (from):
Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Ripal Patel, Shikhar Dhawan, Shimrom Hetmyar, Shreyas Iyer, Steve Smith, Amit Mishra, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan, Ben Dwarshuis, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Kulwant Khejroliya, Lukman Meriwala, Pravin Dubey, Tom Curran, Umesh Yadav, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sam Billings and Vishnu Vinod.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (Captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert.
What time does the IPL 2021 Qualifer 2 between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders begin?
The IPL 2021 Qualifer 2 between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders is scheduled to start at 07:30 pm. The toss will take place at 07:00 pm.
Where is the IPL 2021 Qualifer 2 between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders taking place?
The IPL 2021 Qualifer 2 between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders will be played in Sharjah.
Which TV channel will broadcast IPL 2021 Qualifer 2 between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders?
The IPL 2021 Qualifer 2 between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders will broadcast LIVE on Star Sports 1/HD.
Where can I catch the live streaming of the IPL 2021 Qualifer 2 between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders?
The live streaming of the IPL 2021 Qualifer 2 between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders will be available on the Hotstar app and website. You can also catch the live commentary/scorecard and latest updates of the match here at zeenews.india.com.
