Last Updated on 4 years by Charbel Coorey

IPL 2020 Match 42: KKR vs DC Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | KKR vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report

Kolkata Knight Riders sit in the playoffs spots, but have their performances suggested that they are a top four side?

Let’s paint a picture.

Out of their five wins to date, three of those (vs KXIP, SRH and CSK) they had no business in winning. They looked gone, and pulled a rabbit out the hat. In their five losses, they have lost heavily in four of them, resulting in the worst net run rate of any team in the tournament (-0.828). So, what can we make of KKR? Are they too inconsistent to make the playoffs? Can they recover from an awful batting performance vs RCB?

These questions and more will be answered somewhat today against Delhi Capitals. The high-flying Capitals have overcome a number of injury concerns throughout the campaign so far, and have the chance to regain top spot with a win today. Shreyas Iyer’s men will be looking to make their own bounce back after a loss to Kings XI Punjab, which is important as defeat here will put their top two aim at risk, as well as put them just four points ahead of fifth place with three games remaining as SRH and KXIP do battle after this game.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

• Shikhar Dhawan has hit two unbeaten centuries in a row, after two consecutive half-centuries, to catapult to second place in the Orange Cap race (69*, 57, 101*, 106*).
• Dhawan hits a half-century every four innings on average vs KKR (six in 24 innings), at an overall average of 29.65 (682 runs). He struck 97* against them last season.
• Incredibly, Dhawan averages 84.75 against pace in IPL 2020, so KKR could look to open with Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav or Sunil Narine (if fit). Narine has 20 wickets in 15 games vs Delhi (avg. 18.25, SR 6.64).
• Shreyas Iyer smashed 88* (38) vs KKR at Sharjah earlier this season. Can he produce a strong knock at Abu Dhabi today? The DC captain has made a double-figure score in all 10 games of IPL 2020, so the question is whether he can build on those starts.
• KKR’s up-and-down middle order means that a lot rests on Shubman Gill to provide a platform. Like Iyer, Gill has made plenty of starts in IPL 2020, with eight double-figure scores in his 10 games (with six scores above 25, two fifties), so KKR need him to carry on today if he gets in.
• Nitish Rana struck 58 (35) vs DC earlier this season. Eoin Morgan, the new KKR skipper, has a key role to play today. He struck 44 (18) vs DC in their earlier meeting in IPL 2020.
• Prithvi Shaw is enduring a poor run of form (4, 0, 0 and 7 in his past four innings). However, today could be the day he rediscovers his form as he has a good record vs KKR, with three fifties in four innings against them (4 inns, 241 runs, avg. 60.25, SR 163.95).
• Dinesh Karthik has had his problems against wristspin in IPL 2020 (18 balls, 14 runs, five dismissals). So, if DC don’t play a wristspinner in their starting XI, Karthik could benefit. Time for DC to play Praveen Dubey?
• His opposite number, Rishabh Pant, has made scores of 31, 37*, 28, 38, 37, 5 and 14 in IPL 2020. His only single-figure score was a run-out, so DC will want him to build on his starts,
• The brilliant Kagiso Rabada is showing no signs of slowing down. He is the Purple Cap holder with 21 wickets in 10 games in IPL 2020, and has taken 46 wickets in 22 matches since the start of IPL 2019. Also, he has taken 2/21 and 2/28 in his two games at Abu Dhabi this season.
• His battle with Lockie Ferguson will be as intriguing as it is impactful. All of a sudden, the Kiwi speedster is arguably KKR’s most important bowler, after leading KKR to a win vs SRH (3/15 and two Super Over wickets). Also, he bowled well in tough circumstances vs RCB (1/17).
• Anrich Nortje, who was rested last game vs KXIP, could return today. The Proteas’ fast bowler has had a superb tournament so far (12 wickets in nine games), and took 3/33 vs KKR earlier this season.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 26, KKR 13, DC 12, 1 abandoned match.
• Delhi Capitals have won their past four matches against Kolkata Knight Riders.
• Shikhar Dhawan has scored 58.22% of DC’s runs in their past two matches.
• Andre Russell has a good head-to-head record vs DC, but is in doubt with a hamstring problem. In nine games against them, he has smashed 227 runs at a SR of 195.89 (avg. 32.43), along with 13 wickets.
• Kuldeep Yadav has a decent record vs Dhawan in T20s (37 balls, 34 runs, two wickets). He also has a good record vs Pant in T20s (21 balls, 23 balls, two wickets).
• Interestingly, DC have not won a game at Abu Dhabi so far in IPL 2020 (two attempts).
• Rabada and Nortje to dominate the powerplay? KKR have the worst scoring rate at this stage (6.73), and have not finished the powerplay wicketless at all in IPL 2020. DC have taken 17 wickets at this stage, at a SR of 21.18.

Possible Playing 11

Tushar Deshpande had a poor outing against KXIP (two overs for 41 runs). So, given the problems that KKR’s middle order has against legspin, DC could look to bring in Praveen Dubey.

Delhi Capitals: 1. Prithvi Shaw, 2. Shikhar Dhawan, 3. Shreyas Iyer (c), 4. Rishabh Pant (wk), 5. Marcus Stoinis, 6. Shimron Hetmyer, 7. Axar Patel, 8. R Ashwin, 9. Kagiso Rabada, 10. Anrich Nortje, 11. Tushar Deshpande/Praveen Dubey

Sunil Narine reportedly has a niggle and Andre Russell’s hamstring injury is one to watch.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Shubman Gill, 2. Rahul Tripathi, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Eoin Morgan (c), 5. Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6. Andre Russell/Tom Banton/Sunil Narine, 7. Pat Cummins, 8. Lockie Ferguson, 9. Prasidh Krishna, 10. Varun Chakravarthy, 11. Kuldeep Yadav

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Abu Dhabi Pitch and Weather Report

The chasing team has won four of the last five games at Abu Dhabi. However, given that this is a day game, the team that wins the toss could look to bat on a slowish pitch as there will be no dew in the second innings. Also, both teams enjoy defending scores more: four of KKR’s five wins have come batting first in IPL 2020, and out of DC’s seven wins, six have come when batting first.

Dream11 Prediction

Also read: How to create multiple teams in Dream11 and its benefit

Option 1:

Option 2:

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Match Prediction

KKR’s fortunes could ultimately depend on if one of the star West Indian players can play and perform. Overall, though, Delhi Capitals are in much better form and look more settled. DC to win.

Thanks for reading!