Delhi and Kolkata will face each other in mid-week’s second double-header encounter in Indian T20 League 2021. Delhi lost to Bangalore by 1 run in their previous game, while Kolkata ended their losing streak in the previous game by defeating Punjab by 5 wickets.
Match Timings: April 29, 7:30 PM IST
Team Preview
Motera will host the second double-header game between Playoffs contender Delhi and struggling Kolkata. Delhi’s start to the Ahmedabad leg wasn’t convincing as they lost to Bangalore by just one run in a thrilling encounter. Pant and Hetmyer almost pulled off the great chase but they just fell short. Pant’s 48-ball 58 was a questionable knock that cost them a match. Bowling was excellent and Ishant’s inclusion in the squad helped Avesh Khan to boost the pace-attack. Pant’s captaincy was slightly poor but Delhi would look to move on from the heartbreaking loss at Motera.
Delhi has a compact side and they know how to make comeback after the defeat. They now have four wins out of six but they will not be happy with the performance in the last two games. Against Hyderabad, they failed to post a big total despite a fiery start from openers. They somehow saved the match due to a super over but these issues cannot be tolerated considering the tough matches in the second half. Any change is unlikely to happen from Delhi. Their combination with three pacers and two spinners is ideal. The batting unit is making few errors and the issue is about the strike rate which will be solved.
Meanwhile, Kolkata finally made a stop to their 4-match losing streak and their confidence-boosting win came against Punjab. Bowlers were excellent in their first game at Motera. Top-order struggled in the chase of 124 but Morgan and Triptahi’s brilliance helped them to cross the line. Morgan got runs which is a positive sign. Narine was also effective with bowling but considering him to try at number three or four isn’t a good idea. Kolkata included Shivam Mavi in the previous game and he justified his selection with a tight opening spell. Kolkata has to extend its winning momentum and they have to fix its issues. Gill is out of the form and middle-order is lacking the most. Russell should be tried up in the order. Bowling also have few concerns but they are improving a little bit. Motera’s track suits their playing style and they can make things better tonight.
Pitch Report
Motera’s track is good to bat and we saw the good atmosphere for batting. Pacers can take some swing with the new ball but overall, we can expect a decent game of T20. Chasing would be a better call but it won’t easy while chasing 160 plus score.
Possible XI
Delhi
Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Steven Smith, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan
Kolkata
Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy
Key Players
Delhi
Shikhar Dhawan
Top-scorer for Delhi, 265 runs at an avg of 44.17
Avesh Khan
12 wickets at an avg of 13.42
Kolkata
Eoin Morgan
Got a crucial fifty in the last game, handy on this pitch
Andre Russell
Effective pick for this game, showed intent in last 2-3 games
