DC v CSK Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2020 match
When the Delhi Capitals and the Chennai Super Kings first met earlier this IPL 2020 season, the Shreyas Iyer-led side were labelled as the favorites going into the clash. And the Capitals did come out victorious, as they picked up a massive 44-run win on the back of a fine 43-ball 64 from Prithvi Shaw.
A little over three weeks since, the Capitals find themselves in second place on the IPL 2020 points table with 12 points from eight matches. CSK, on the other hand, have just half the number of their opponents' points and find themselves in a spot of bother.
Since the inception of the IPL, CSK have made the playoffs in all the editions that they've been a part of, but now, there's a chance that the MS Dhoni-led side might need to book an early flight out of the UAE.
Currently in a position where they need to win five out of their remaining six games to have a proper shot at the playoffs, CSK will need to pull out all the stops to pick up some momentum in this second half of IPL 2020.
On the other hand, DC have been hit by a spate of injuries over the last week or more. Amit Mishra and Ishant Sharma have been ruled out of IPL 2020, while Rishabh Pant has missed the last two games due to a Grade 1 tear.
Adding to their list of woes, skipper Shreyas Iyer walked off the field during their game against RR three days ago, clutching his shoulder after an awkward fall while fielding the ball.
With both teams coming into this game on the back of wins, we could be in for an exciting Delhi v Chennai clash today.
IPL 2020: DC v CSK Match Prediction
CSK skipper MS Dhoni hardly minced any words after his side fell to a 37-run loss to arch-rivals RCB as he shed light on the batsmen needing to show more intent, even if it was to come at the cost of losing their wicket.
His words pretty much inspired a change right from the onset as Sam Curran partnered Faf du Plessis at the top, and the Englishman's 21-ball 31 set the tone for the CSK innings.
However, the DC bowling unit is a different kettle of fish, with Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje breathing fire down the neck of the opposition batsmen in their side's eight matches so far.
As for the spin department, DC haven't missed the services of Mishra too much, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel bowling challenging lengths and varying their pace to good effect.
What's more is that in DC's previous encounter at Sharjah, Ashwin was named as the Man of the Match for his figures of 1/22 from his four overs. And with the CSK middle order having come under the scanner quite a bit, the former CSK spinner's bag of tricks will be key to stifle the batsmen in the middle overs.
CSK, though, did build a squad to suit the conditions at Chepauk, and with Sharjah producing some turn in recent times, Dhoni will hope that the spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma and Piyush Chawla have an impact in this game.
As for DC's batting unit, Shikhar Dhawan couldn't have timed his return to form better, with casualties being added to the injury list with every single game. Although Dhawan has just 31 runs from two matches at Sharjah, the southpaw will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing three spinners who will turn the ball into him.
Although DC have been hit by a slew of injuries, they find themselves in the top half of the points table due to the depth in their resources, and with the bowlers looking in top form, the onus will again be on the CSK middle order to put on a show.
DC have remained unbeaten in their two matches in Sharjah, while CSK came second against RR in their only match so far at the same venue. In terms of an overall outlook, DC look settled with their lineup despite injury concerns, while CSK are still trying out a few combinations in their search for the perfect playing XI.
Prediction: DC to win today.