IPL 2021: RR v DC preview

Delhi Capitals, who finished runners-up in last year’s IPL, started the 2021 edition by cruising to a win against Chennai Super Kings, led by a strong opening partnership. Further challenges will tell how much they’ll miss Shreyas Iyer in the middle order, but the batting order, with the ever-dependable Shikhar Dhawan and the in-form Prithvi Shaw at the top, does look settled for now. Death bowling could still be an issue they need to sort, having conceded 52 runs in the last five overs.

Rajasthan, on the other hand, are coming off a heartbreaking four-run loss to Punjab, where captain Sanju Samson gave it his all, but couldn’t help RR cross the line. It will be quite a task to recover after a loss as mentally exhausting, compounded by news of Ben Stokes’ injury, which has ruled him out of the tournament.

Team news

DC: After their win in the opening game, there’s little reason for Delhi to change their winning combination. Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Woakes and Tom Curran are expected to be the four overseas players, with Kagiso Rabada ready to be included once he’s available. The news of Anrich Nortje testing positive for Covid-19 would be a big blow though, since the Nortje-Rabada pairing played a pivotal role in Delhi’s charge to the final last year.

RR: With Stokes’ absence, Rajasthan will have to make at least one forced change at the top – one of Liam Livingstone or David Miller is likely to be slotted into the XI. Alternatively, RR could try out Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top, which would give them the chance to bring in another overseas player lower down the order.

Pitch and weather

The Wankhede stadium, with its batting-friendly surface and short boundaries, is likely to test the bowlers to the limit – while Delhi’s top-heavy batting order is expected to hold the edge, Rajasthan’s valiant chase in the last game symbolised their never-say-die spirit and the depth in their batting which could hold them in good stead in a run-fest.

IPL 2021: RR v DC Predicted XI

RR: Jos Buttler, Manan Vohra/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C & WK), Liam Livingstone/David Miller, Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Shreyas Gopal, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

DC: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant (C & WK), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Tom Curran, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan