Ahmedabad: Mitchell Starc’s mastery of death overs will be up against Mohammed Siraj’s artistry when the high-flying Delhi Capitals take on an equally well-placed Gujarat Titans in a high-voltage top-of-the-table IPL clash here on Saturday.
The Capitals sit pretty at the top with 10 points from six games, while the Titans trail close behind with eight from as many outings.
Confidence in the Delhi camp would be soaring after their dramatic Super Over win over Rajasthan Royals, another heist scripted under pressure with Starc at the heart of it.
The Australian left-arm quick bowled three overs of pinpoint yorkers, including a nerve wracking Super Over, to turn the game on its head.
Having skipped the Champions Trophy to freshen up after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Starc has returned to the IPL recharged and razor sharp.
With 10 wickets at an economy just over 10, he’s led the DC pace unit featuring Mukesh Kumar and Mohit Sharma. If Starc can conjure another match-defining spell, it could be the edge that Delhi needs.
His battle with Gujarat Titans’ top order, led by skipper Shubman Gill, the consistent Sai Sudharsan, and Ashes rival Jos Buttler, could prove pivotal.
So far, the trio has carried the bulk of the batting load, with at least one of them notching a half-century in every match.
The GT middle order, largely untested, faltered when finally called upon against Lucknow Super Giants, resulting in a defeat. If Delhi can crack that top-order code early, the ripple effect could tilt the contest in their favour.
On the other hand, after an underwhelming Border-Gavaskar Trophy and missing India’s Champions Trophy-winning campaign, Siraj used his time away from the game to iron out flaws and the results are showing.
Refreshed and raring, Siraj has emerged as the cornerstone of Gujarat Titans’ bowling attack this season.
With his Test-match lengths and ability to generate movement off the deck, he has picked up 10 wickets at an economy of 8.50, particularly excelling in the Powerplay.
Up against him will be Delhi’s relatively inexperienced opening duo of Jake Fraser-McGurk, who has struggled for rhythm, and the promising Abishek Porel.
The pair will have their work cut out not just against Siraj but also Prasidh Krishna, who is enjoying a standout season.
Should Delhi’s top order crumble early, the Capitals will look towards the experience of KL Rahul and Karun Nair to steady the ship.
Axar Patel, who plays for Gujarat in the domestic circuit, too will be eager to make an impact at his home-ground, having rediscovered his rhythm with both bat and ball.
Both teams also boast of high-quality spin arsenals.
While Gujarat have banked on the reliable duo of Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan, Delhi’s standout performer has been Kuldeep Yadav, ably supported by the impressive Vipraj Nigam.
However, Kuldeep’s availability is uncertain after he walked off the field with a shoulder injury in the last match, and the Capitals are yet to provide a fitness update.
Squads:
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Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel (C), Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Ashutosh Sharma, KL Rahul, Abishek Porel, Donovan Ferreira, Tristan Stubbs, Madhav Tiwari, Tripurana Vijay, Manvanth Kumar, Vipraj Nigam, Ajay Mandal, Darshan Nalkande, Mukesh Kumar, Mohit Sharma, T Natarajan, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav.
Gujarat Titans: B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (Captain), Jos Buttler (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Nishant Sindhu, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gerald Coetzee, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar, Karim Janat.
Match starts 3:30pm.
