The IPL carnival has again shifted base to UAE post the suspension of the league midway earlier this year. Delhi and Hyderabad had contrasting fortunes in the first leg. DC ended the first phase as table toppers bagging 6 wins out of 8 games while SRH has just 1 win to their name in 7 games. SRH will be hoping for resumption in UAE while DC will look to extend their dominance, lets talk more about DC vs SRH.

Delhi Capitals: Form

Delhi Capitals were on a roll in the first leg of IPL 2021. They were the only team to have won 6 games albeit they played 8 games overall. DC were table toppers heading into the UAE leg. They seem to have been bolstered with the return of Shreyas Iyer. DC look like a much stronger outfit now. Their only reason to worry is the fact that they haven’t handed over captaincy back to Iyer. If Iyer is upset about this fact it might cause unrest in the DC camp. On the contrary, if the wise heads at DC are able to suffice everyone then DC look like a proper champion-worthy team this year. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Form

Sunrisers Hyderabad have looked everything but champions this season. They have arguably had their worst IPL seasons so far. SRH have won just 1 game out of 7 in the first leg. This resulted in them axing David Warner from captaincy. They even went on to drop Warner for a game. But nothing clicked still. The absence of Jonny Bairstow may pave Warner’s return to the fore. They will be keen to make a strong impression in the 2nd leg. A quality SRH is good for the league too. Expect them to give a good account about themselves.

DC vs SRH: Favourites?

Delhi Capitals are high on confidence. They have 6 wins under their belt. The runners-up from last season have played to potential in this season too. Shreyas Iyer’s return boosts the side comprehensively. They might be in for a special season this year.

Sunrisers Hyderabad head into this game having won just 1 game. Warner is most likely to start for SRH at the top. A liberated Warner will be an asset for SRH and dangerous for the opposition. SRH need to win almost everything from now. The match against DC will be a step in that direction.

Which players will be match-winners in this game?

Ravichandran Ashwin clearly holds a wood over David Warner. Ashwin might even bowl in the first powerplay to target Warner. This match-up may well decide the outcome of the game.

Rashid Khan will be SRH’s trump card against DC. He has picked up 14 wickets in 11 games against them at an average of 17.71. His economy of 5.64 is brilliant!

X-factor player:

Shikhar Dhawan is the orange cap holder. He has been in scintillating form this IPL. Dhawan has amassed 231 runs at an average of 57.75. He will be expected to lead DC’s charge against SRH.

Kane Williamson has a fabulous record against Delhi Capitals. In 11 matches so far, he has scored 471 runs at an average of 67.29 striking them at 134.96.

Probable Playing XI:

Delhi Capitals predicted XI:

Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan

Sunrisers Hyderabad predicted XI:

David Warner, Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey,  Kane Williamson, Vijay Shankar, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jagadeesha Suchith, Sandeep Sharma

What do stats say about DC vs SRH?

SRH and DC have played 19 IPL games against each other.

SRH has won 11 matches. DC has won 8 games.

SRH’s highest score against DC is 219. DC’s highest score against SRH is 189.

SRH’s lowest score against DC is 116. DC’s lowest score against SRH is 80.

Pitch:

The Dubai pitch does offer a bit for everyone. The batsmen can trust the true bounce. There will be swing early on. The early movement was quite evident in the match featuring MI and CSK. But if the openers are able to ride the early challenge then they might be in for a big knock.

Weather Report:

A high of 37 degrees and a low of 30 degrees is expected. There are no chances of rain. Dew might not play a big factor in Dubai. 

Ground stats:

A total of 62 matches has been played at this venue. Teams batting first have won 35 games while chasing teams have won 26. The average scoring batting first at this venue is 144. On the other hand, the average 2nd innings score is a paltry 122. Anything above 160 will be a par score batting first.

StumpsandBails verdict:

It is a battle between SRH’s resurgence and DC’s momentum. DC do start overwhelming favourites in this game but expect SRH to spring a surprise.