The 38th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played between Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. DC has already won seven out of the nine games they have played so far. Apart from their star-studded bowling unit, Shikhar Dhawan has led the way with three consecutive fifty-plus scores in IPL 2020. Adding Shreyas Iyer and Marcus Stoinis into the equation only sweetens the deal.
On the other hand, KXIP is having a race against time to stand a chance to reach the playoffs. Despite sitting in the bottom half of the table for most of the IPL, they have made a comeback with back-to-back wins, including a morale-boosting victory against MI during the weekend. With KL Rahul going strong at the top of the order, KXIP seems to be having finally got their momentum back to reach the top-four spot.
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The previous contest between the two teams ended up in a Super Over thriller, with Marcus Stoinis coming out with an all-around performance. Nevertheless, both teams are well-matched on paper with momentum also on their sides coming into this game. With two valuable points on offer, we should be in for a cracking contest in Dubai.
As the two sides prepare for a thrilling encounter, here’s a look at three key player battles to keep an eye on.
#1. Kagiso Rabada vs KL Rahul
Despite having the burden of leading the team with wicket-keeping, KL Rahul has not flagged with the bat which has also helped KXIP to win two consecutive matches. Delhi Capitals are at the far end of the graph, at the top of the table, and looking good for the knockouts. They have, in Kagiso Rabada, the man with the best wicket haul in IPL 2020 so far and the clash between these two on Tuesday would be quite the face-off.
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With Rahul scoring 525 runs off nine matches in IPL 2020, with a strike rate of 135.65 and Rabada scalping 19 wickets from nine matches at an economy of 7.68. He has been among the wickets in every match and has been instrumental in many Delhi Capitals successes.
#2. Shreyas Iyer vs Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami has been not been able to produce the performance he was expected ahead of IPL 2020. He will be optimistic to get his form back especially against DC skipper Shreyas Iyer, whose sublime stroke play can ruin the bowling figures of some of the best in the business. Iyer is amongst the top run-scorers in the ongoing edition, having scored 260 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 129.05. He has been ensuring a quick start for DC and he is yet to hit the heights of his capability.
#3. Shikhar Dhawan vs Ravi Bishnoi
Shikhar Dhawan is quite the enigma for DC. He holds the lowest profile, quite happy for the glitz and glamour to be on the superstars while he gets on with his job. He has amassed 359 runs from eight matches with the help of a couple of half-centuries. In IPL history, the DC batsman has played 168 matches for 4938 runs at a strike rate of 126.
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Ravi Bishnoi has been as consistent for KXIP as he has claimed eight wickets in eight matches but they all have been important wickets, at critical stages, and maintained the economy is 8.03. Bishnoi will have his task cut out against Dhawan and the daunting Mumbai Indians batting.
