IPL 2018, DD vs KKR Match Prediction: Who will win today's match between Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders
They limited one of the strongest batting line-ups to a below-par total in one of the smallest grounds in India, Feroz Shah Kotla. Although frequent misfielding gave away a bunch of extra runs, they were still the likely winners of that match. But Delhi Daredevils somehow ended up where the trolls want to see them and the fans are tired of seeing, the niche that they have unfortunately created for themselves: the last spot.
Then the news that's been ringing in every cricket fan's ears, calling for contemplation and theories came out. I wouldn't want to reiterate it but that's how it's going to be - Gambhir will no longer lead DD.
So, in the next battle between Gautam da's ex-side and the team no more led by Gauti bhai, let's see what the match number 26 of IPL 2018 has in store for the viewers.
Date: 27th April
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Time: 8.00 PM IST
If Delhi Daredevils bat first
Predicted score - 160+
Without a doubt, Delhi Daredevils have one of the most explosive batsmen in the league. The youngsters of the team - most importantly Rishab Pant and the now captain Shreyas Iyer - have been beneficial for the team. Prithvi Shaw has now come into the mix as well.
Despite getting out after playing just 10 balls in his first IPL match, Shaw maintained a strike rate of 220. Pant's heroic 85 against RCB had gotten even Virat Kohli applauding the youngster's batsmanship. Iyer has two half-centuries to his name as well.
Gambhir, however, has struggled against pace. He picks the turning deliveries well but doesn't stay long enough to get a taste of spin. It's a question if he'll play this match and if he does, will he fire against his former team?
Joining the string of woes is Jason Roy. The English batsman was dropped in the last match and only has one 91-run innings against Mumbai Indians to be proud of. The lower middle-order has provided an array of mediocre performances, which have come from their all-rounders.
Against them is the spin-heavy team of KKR. The world-class trio of Narine, Chawla and Yadav have done wonders for their team and would continue the same to seal KKR's spot in the playoffs. After dropping the expensive Vinay Kumar from the side, Tom Curran and Shivam Mavi have been the flag-bearers of their pace attack, faring decently. They have also enjoyed the part-time bowling of Nitish Rana, who has been successful in getting some breakthroughs.
If Kolkata Knight Riders bat first
Predicted score - 175+
Much has been said about the dismal DD side, so now we move towards the Kolkata-based franchise. The team has been in good form and has won three matches, though, they have lost as many games. In their last encounter, a rain-curtailed match against KXIP, Chris Lynn and Dinesh Karthik had fired KKR to a good score and put KXIP in trouble but D/L ruined it for them.
Their batting order looks more or less settled as they haven't altered their line-up much in the six games. They took a chance of opening with Uthappa instead of Narine in the match against SRH but after that backfired, they've gone back to the Lynn-Narine duo.
From Uthappa walking in at three to Shubman Gill at seven, they have a dependable middle-order. The captain himself is one of the momentum breakers if the opponents are riding on some early wickets.
Although Andre Russell walked off the field owing to a hamstring injury in the previous match, there hasn't been any news of him missing out on this match.
Rahul Tewatia has been the pick of the season for the Daredevils and has been taking wickets at crucial junctures, leaking minimum runs which ace-leggie Amit Mishra and Shahbaz Nadeem haven't quite managed.
Trent Boult has been the forerunner in their pace attack, standing 6th in the Purple Cap's list. The addition of Avesh Khan and Liam Plunkett has only proven to be advantageous and the team is likely to go ahead with them, while Shami and Morris will continue to warm the bench.
Match prediction
It is DD's home game but KKR walk in as favourites if previous records are taken into account. Out of the last 8 matches between them, seven have been clinched by the Kolkata-based team, obviously under Gambhir's captaincy.
However, now, the tables might turn. The entire story of today's game will be scripted around Iyer's captaincy and Karthik tackling the youngster's plans. It might just be the start of DD's mission to get off that last spot, this time, through a new, young captain while DK's guys will look to climb up the ladder, slowly and steadily.
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