JOIN USIPL 2019, Qualifier 2: CSK vs DC match preview
Match preview
The Qualifier 2 of this enthralling IPL season sees the mighty Chennai Super Kings go toe-to-toe with Shreyas Iyer's Delhi Capitals on May 10, with a place in the all-important final against three-time champions Mumbai Indians up for grabs.
Both sides played consistent cricket over the course of the competition, claiming 18 points each. However, due to the inferior run rate, the Capitals were pushed to third place, meaning they'd have to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on their own turf. They did churn out a nervy, last-gasp win against Kane Williamson & Co. in a fixture that encompassed twists and turns at every juncture.
Meanwhile, CSK were outplayed by bitter rivals MI in the Qualifier 1, which also gave them a second shot at the final berth.
Both outfits have a solid team combination along with individual firepower in their camps, but each of them has endured major problems as well.
While CSK's issue lies in their scoring rate during the powerplay overs due to the top order's spasmodic run of form, DC's middle order possesses a meagre average of just over 20. Not to mention, with key wicket-takers in Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris now unavailable, extra burden falls on Trent Boult to take wickets in the death.
Having said that, both these teams know how to dig a victory out and contain their opposition in the middle overs with the ball. This only implies that the fixture can be won or lost by the finest or margins, and through which out of the two exposes the other's weaknesses more rigourously.
Will Dhoni's cricketing intelligence and guile continue to dominate the IPL, or will Shreyas Iyer inspire a revitalised, rechristened to their first-ever league final? Here's all you need to know ahead of the fixture.
Match details
Date and day: May 10, Friday
Venue: ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Time: 7:30 pm IST
Head-to-head
These two franchisees have locked horns with each other on 20 occasions before, with CSK clearly holding the upper hand. The Yellow Army have emerged victorious 14 times, while Delhi have won just six.
In fact, CSK have thrashed DC twice this year already.
Predicted line-ups
Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Colin Ingram, Shreyas Iyer (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Axar Patel, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Trent Boult, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma
Key players
Chennai Super Kings:
For this must-win encounter, none other than the wily MS Dhoni is key to Chennai's success. Not only has he been shepherding the side with the bat, but also taking the right calls on the field, as a skipper.
He has rescued the team time and time again this season. Whether the team has required him to play a rearguard knock following the loss of early wickets or provide a flourish in the end, the former India captain has stepped up consistently.
Delhi Capitals:
On big occasions, one needs their seniormost players to rise to the challenge. An in-form Amit Mishra thus becomes the player to watch out for, as he will surely bring in all his experience, hold the nerves of the bowling attack and aim to turn the game around on a slow, sticky track with his teasing leg spin as well.
The veteran's performance against SRH (4-0-16-1) would undoubtedly have boosted his mojo heading into this fixture.
Key battle
Shreyas Iyer v Imran Tahir
More often than not, after the fall of an early wicket, the anchor's role has been taken up by the young, dynamic skipper of the Capitals - Shreyas Iyer. The classy player has amassed over 400 runs this season again, and he will be up against arguably the best spin attack of the tournament, led by Imran Tahir.
CSK's hopes heavily rely on the wicket-taking abilities of Tahir in the middle overs, while DC have a major bulk of their runs this season through the willow of Shreyas Iyer, who holds the innings together at number 3. This sets up a mouth-watering mini-battle.
Prediction
This one's a little tough as both teams have a host of match-winners in their armoury. However, with CSK's substandard scoring rate in the middle overs this season decoded by many teams, it looks like DC will have the upper edge.
Iyer marshalls his bowlers to great effect, as it was seen with Amit Mishra and Axar Patel against SRH in the eliminator. More so, the Capitals might just have accessed the conditions of this ground better than Chennai during their victory against the Sunrisers.