The tournament is slowly picking up pace. Teams are in the quest to find the right combination and momentum to surge ahead. The tournament has now moved to Ahmedabad and Delhi leg. 

DC’s form:

Delhi Capitals played their first 3 games at the Wankhede in Mumbai. The pitches there aided stroke making. DC won 2 out of their 3 games. They started with a win over CSK, lost to RR and beat PK. Their batting might helped them overhaul big targets against CSK and PK. DC struggled when the pitch offered something to the bowlers. Their struggles against RR seamers were proof of that point. DC began their Chennai sojourn with a win over MI. This win came as a shot in the arm for Delhi. They tied with SRH and later went on to win the super-over. DC went on to lose a close game against RCB and this pushed them to 3rd in the standings. They will be eager to back to winning ways against KKR.

KKR’s form:

Kolkata Knight Riders finally got their 2nd win after 4 straight losses. The team put in an almost complete performance to bag crucial 2 points. The win over PK took them directly to 5th place in the table. KKR will be eager to build on the win. The Ahmedabad pitch suited KKR bowling attack and they kept the opposition on a leash. Eoin Morgan got back into form with his match winning knock against PK. KKR need their top order to fire and then it will be difficult for teams to catch them then.

DC vs KKR: Favourites?

Delhi Capitals are yet to play the perfect game. The fact that they have still gone on to win 4 games speaks a lot about their strength in the squad. KKR too seemed to have found their mojo back with the win over DC. It promises to be a battle of character for both the teams. KKR’s new found voice makes them favourite for this game.

Which players will be match-winners in this game?

Shimron Hetmyer came into his own in the last game against RCB. His 53 of 25 balls nearly stole RCB’s thunder. He will benefit from coming in at number 3.

Rahul Tripathi has gone about his business in his usual calm self. His restlessness at the crease has made up for KKR’s lethargic opening pair. He will be key to building KKR’s batting base.

X-factor player:

Prithvi Shaw is one of the better players of mystery spin bowling. He will be DC’s biggest trump card to counter KKR’s two mystery spinners.

Eoin Morgan might look to take charge against DC’s spin duo of Amit Mishra and Axar Patel. It is an ideal matchup for Morgan and this duel might prove to be decisive in the game.

Probable Playing XI:

Delhi Capitals predicted XI:

Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Steve Smith/Sam Billings, Rishabh Pant (&WK), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan

Kolkata Knight Riders predicted XI:

Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan, Sunil Narine, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna

What do stats say about DC vs KKR?

DC and KKR have played 26 IPL games against each other.

DC has won 11 matches. KKR has won 14 games. 1 game has not produced a result.

DC’s highest score against KKR is 228. KKR’s highest score against DC is 210.

DC’s lowest score against KKR is 98. KKR’s lowest score against DC is 97.

Pitch:

The Ahmedabad pitch aids quality fast bowling. Bowlers who tend to hit the pitch hard might find assistance from the surface. The black and red soil pitch also has a say in the outcome of the contest. Black soil offers variable bounce and it might prove counterproductive to stroke-making.

Weather Report:

A high of 43 degrees and a low of 27 degrees is expected. There are no chances of rain. Dew might play a big factor and teams will prefer to chase under such weather conditions.

Ground stats:

170 is the average score at this venue.

StumpsandBails verdict:

It is a battle between DC’s resolve and KKR’s resurgence. We believe KKR has a edge in this game.