CSK v DC, IPL 2021 – Fan2Play Fantasy Cricket Tips, Prediction and Playing XI
Match Details
Chennai Super Kings square off against Delhi Capitals in the second match of the 2021 season of the IPL and it will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on the 9th of April, 2021. The match will commence at 7:30 PM IST and it will be telecasted on the Stars Sports. Hotstar will be streaming the game live as well.
Preview
It was only in November that the 2020 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) wrapped up and five months later, it’s back for it’s 14th season. In the second game of the tournament, MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) go head to head against Delhi Capitals (DC) who will be under a new skipper, Rishabh Pant.
CSK have been arguably the most consistent side in the history of this Indian T20 league. They have made it to the top four in 10 out of the 11 seasons that they have played. That one miss came in the 2020 season. They were hit by the absence of a few key players in the season and their balance wasn’t at its best either. With the bat, they had slow starts and the middle-order couldn’t really help them recover. They were decent with the ball but lacked the bite and regular wicket-taking ability.
However, this time around, the three-time IPL champions seem to have added some decent depth, especially in the all-round department and the top-order batting has been reinforced as well. The MS Dhoni-led side have a variety of options and they are one team that could field so many combinations with the players that they have at their disposal. This season could see them go back to the theory of having six full-time bowling options as the likes of Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur can all have an impact with the bat.
On the other hand, Delhi Capitals have been super consistent in the last couple of seasons. Their rise has been remarkable under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting. After a slew of seasons in the bottom half, Delhi finished third in 2019 before falling one short of the title last year. Iyer has been ruled out of this season with a shoulder injury and Pant has stepped in to replace him. Even in the absence of Iyer, Delhi look a solid team with great all-round depth.
Their bowling attack wears a fiery look. The South African pace duo of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada have played a massive role in DC’s success. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel have combined to form a potent spin attack and add to that, the wily old Amit Mishra who will start the season in Axar’s absence (he tested positive for COVID-19). With Pant, one of Shimron Hetmyer or Sam Billings and Marcus Stoinis, the middle-order looks pretty solid as well.
Both teams will be eyeing a good start. CSK are well in the lead as far as head to head record against DC is concerned. CSK have won 15 games while DC have won eight, two of those wins came in the 2020 season.
Probable Playing XIs
Chennai Super Kings: Robin Uthappa, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran/Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir
Delhi Capitals: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Marcus Stoinis, Sam Billings/Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Tom Curran/Umesh Yadav, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma
Captaincy Picks
Faf du Plessis: Faf du Plessis was by far CSK’s best batsman in the 2020 season and he was the one who carried the batting line-up for a large part of the season. He amassed 449 runs at an average of 40.81 and a strike-rate of 140.75. Thus, the former South African skipper will be the key once again and his ability to get the big scores at the top of the order makes him a top captaincy option.
Rishabh Pant: Rishabh Pant has been in scintillating form in international cricket. He had a pretty indifferent IPL season in 2020, scoring just 343 runs while striking at 113.95. However, he has turned things around and has won India multiple games across formats. Thus, his confidence and form seem to be on an all-time high and hence, he can be backed as fantasy captain.
Fan2Play Fantasy Cricket Tips
2-Player Team
Rishabh Pant, Faf du Plessis
3-Player Team
Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur
4-Player Team
Prithvi Shaw, Marcus Stoinis, Moeen Ali, Shardul Thakur
11-Player Team
Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Moeen Ali, Shardul Thakur, Ishant Sharma, Deepak Chahar
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