IPL 2021 | Blitzpools Prediction, Fantasy XI Tips & Probable XI for Delhi’s clash against Kolkata

ByBlitz, SportsCafe Editor

04/29/2021

The caravan has already moved to Ahmedabad, and playing the third game of the leg will be Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders on double-header day on Thursday. Both sides endured contrasting fortunes in their last respective encounters and will be hoping to walk away with 2 points.

On paper, Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders is right up there as one of the most mouth-watering encounters of the season. Both are high-octane sides who, at their very best, adhere to a fearless approach and have a plethora of match-winners who are not only capable of winning games but also guarantee entertainment. The Capitals, despite the loss vs RCB, have picked up from where they left last season and are on track to qualify for the playoffs while the Knight Riders, are a shocking start, are looking to gain momentum in their quest to make the Top 4. Victory will take DC one step closer to sealing a playoff birth, while KKR will need to register the ‘W’ simply to keep their hopes alive.

Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Form Guide

Delhi Capitals - L W W W L W

The Capitals have started their 2021 pretty much like last season. They’ve registered a few thoroughly clinical performances and have racked up easy wins, but have also, at times, looked like a side that has the ability to implode at any given time. On Tuesday they suffered a rather heart-shattering loss vs RCB, but the side will still take heart from the consistency shown by their bowlers. Having already played once in Ahmedabad, the DC batsmen would be hoping to put up a much better showing on Thursday.

Kolkata Knight Riders - W L L L L W

In the span of 6 games, KKR have looked both like champions and wooden spoon holders - that’s how volatile the side has been. Their season was perfect up until the 35th over in the clash against Mumbai, post which it took a nosedive. Their campaign hit rock-bottom in the game vs Rajasthan, but they somehow resurrected themselves in the game against Punjab. Heading into Thursday, it is hard to predict which KKR will turn up, but one can bank on the side to touch one of the two extremes.

Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Head to Head

Total - 26

KKR - 14

DC - 11

No Result - 1

Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Last Meeting

The last meeting between these two sides saw the Knight Riders obliterate the Capitals. Thanks to an 81 from Nitish Rana and a rampant 64 from Sunil Narine, KKR managed to post 191 on the board. In response, Cummins ran through the DC top-order, post which Varun Chakravarthy clinched a maiden five-wicket haul to hand the Capitals a 59-run thrashing. Reeling at the bottom half of the table, KKR would be hoping for a similar showing on Thursday.

Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Probable Playing XI

DC - Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Steven Smith, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan

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