In the 55th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 the Delhi Capitals (DC) will be locking horns with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Monday. Both teams will be fighting to get the top-2 position at the points table, and even the loser could potentially get disqualified. DC is going through a losing streak of four games despite having a balanced team, as none of their batsmen has fired against quality bowling attacks.
Kagiso Rabada’s dip in form has been greatly detrimental to their fortunes, as Anrich Nortje and R Ashwin aren’t taking wickets consistently. They will need an improved effort from Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, who have underperformed as compared to their standards. The Capitals will have their hands full against Virat Kohli and his men, but RCB’s slow run-rate in the middle overs have put qualification hopes put in jeopardy.
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With a decent bowling attack in place, RCB would hope Kohli will fire in a do-or-die game for both sides. The reverse fixture between the two outfits earlier in the IPL saw DC beat RCB by a huge margin, and they will be hoping for an encore on Monday. With this being an important match for both teams, we should be in for an entertaining encounter in Abu Dhabi.
As the two sides prepare for a thrilling encounter, here’s a look at three key player battles to keep an eye on.
#1. Shikhar Dhawan vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Shikhar Dhawan has taken it upon himself to deliver the goods for RCB. In 12 matches, Dhawan has smashed 471 runs at a strike rate of 146.72. Dhawan has crossed the three-figure mark a couple of times, batting in his trademark style. DC opener’s ability to build his innings and go berserk in the death overs is a massive plus for Delhi.
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The RCB spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal has been able to prove his worth for RCB as he scalped 20 wickets in the season so far. Against Dhawan, though, Chahal will have his task cut out. The DC opener will look to unsettle one of the best bowlers of modern-day cricket.
#2. Virat Kohli vs Anrich Nortje
The RCB skipper, Virat Kohli has had below-par performances in the last couple of matches by his own high standards but on his day remains a formidable opponent regardless of the format, such is his ability to fashion run-scoring opportunities. Anrich Nortje has been DC’s go-to man whenever they needed wickets and they will hope he can dismiss the RCB skipper early and thus increase their chances of a victory.
#3. AB de Villiers vs Kagiso Rabada
On Monday, Kagiso Rabada will come across the might of RCB veteran, AB de Villiers, whose recent inning against KKR has been something else altogether. Rabada has played just every match for DC he has scalped 23 wickets in the 13 matches so far and maintained an economy of 8.19.
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Rabada’s fiery pace will surely be challenged by De Villiers, who has so far played 13 games for 363 runs at an insane strike rate of 163.52! He has so far hit 21 sixes and 27 fours in IPL 2020. The last time the two teams met this year, De Villiersfailed to do much, but this time he will like to change that.
