Last Updated on 3 months by Charbel Coorey

IPL 2020 Match 55: DC vs RCB Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | DC vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Today | Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report

10 days ago, these two teams looked all-but-certain to make the playoffs. In fact, the talk was which team would make the top two, with the possibility of even both having the insurance of playing in Qualifier 1.

Fast forward a week-and-a-half, and the picture looks a lot more grim. The winner will still play in Qualifier 1 against a red-hot MI side, but the loser could be knocked out of the tournament, which seemed unthinkable just a short while ago.

Delhi Capitals have hit a wall at the worst possible time. They have lost their past four matches, with their last three losses all thrashings. In fact, their net run rate has gone down by 0.933 in the past three matches, which has them walking on a tightrope given KKR’s big win over RR last evening.

Their opponents, Royal Challengers Bangalore, are on their own slide, having lost each of their past three matches. Things have certainly felt more positive for RCB this season, so missing out on a playoffs spot would be damaging and devastating for all associated with the franchise, particularly the fans. So, in a crunch game – the kind RCB have struggled in over the years – can they hold their nerve to seal a top-four berth?

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

• Delhi’s batting has gone completely off the boil in recent matches. Shikhar Dhawan’s run of three low scores in a row has exposed DC’s batting, after four consecutive 50+ scores (including two centuries) by the left-hander.
• So, can Dhawan lead the way today? He make a 50+ score every four innings against RCB (5 in 19 knocks), and Shreyas Iyer’s men need him to do so today.
• On the opposing side, it is AB de Villiers who is key for RCB. In RCB wins, ABD has scored 246 runs at an average of 123 and SR of 203.31. In RCB losses, this comes down to 117 runs at an average of 19.50.
• So, Virat Kohli and ABD have a crucial role to play in a crunch game against a favourable opponent. The RCB skipper loves playing Delhi, with 892 runs against them at a superb average of 63.71 (SR 138.72). de Villiers has struck 439 runs in 12 inns for RCB against DC, at an average of 54.88 and SR 163.81.
• It was Axar Patel who won player of the match vs RCB earlier in IPL 2020 (2/18). The left-arm spinner could be a trump card against Kohli and ABD, as they strike at just 109 and 110 respectively this season against balls turning away.
• Marcus Stoinis hasn’t recaptured the form he had earlier in the season. But, today would be the perfect day to do so, as he plays a team he enjoyed success against earlier this season (53* off 26 balls).
• Rishabh Pant has struck at just 112 runs per 100 balls in IPL 2020. Can he release the shackles today? His 311 career runs vs RCB come at an excellent average of 38.88 and strike rate of 155.50.
• Devdutt Padikkal has struck 311 runs in his last 10 innings in IPL 2020. He and Josh Philippe (33 and 32 in last two games) will be key in setting a platform for RCB’s two big guns.
• Kagiso Rabada has gone wicketless in two straight games after taking at least one wicket in 25 consecutive IPL matches. He took 4/24 vs RCB earlier this year, and DC desperately needs him to deliver today.
• His South African pace partner, Anrich Nortje, took 2/22 vs RCB earlier this season, part of 16 wickets in 12 games in IPL 2020.
• Can Yuzvendra Chahal and Chris Morris break the back of DC’s batting effort? Chahal has the most wickets in DC-RCB matches (14 in 12 games), and has the most wickets of any spinner in IPL 2020 (20 in 13 games). Morris has taken 11 wickets in eight games in 2020, but just two in his last four. Crucial time to step up.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 25, RCB 15, DC 9, N/R 1.
• DC (196/4) smashed RCB (137/9) by 59 runs earlier this season. Prithvi Shaw scored a swushbuckling 43 off 22 balls that match. However, he has scored just 40 runs in his next six knocks.
• DC’s captain, Shreyas Iyer, is striking at just 123.95 in IPL 2020. He has scored a very respectable 414 runs (avg. 34.50), but one feels he has another gear in him.
• The battle between Chahal and Iyer could be key. Iyer has scored 73 runs vs legspin in IPL 2020 at a strike rate of 107 this season, with four dismissals.
• Whoever wins this match will play MI in Qualifier 1. The loser will need to ensure they don’t lose by too many to qualify in the event that SRH win.

Possible Playing 11

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

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1. Devdutt Padikkal, 2. Josh Philippe (wk), 3. Virat Kohli (c), 4. AB de Villiers, 5. Shivam Dube, 6. Chris Morris, 7. Gurkeerat Singh, 8. Washington Sundar, 9. Navdeep Saini, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Abu Dhabi Pitch and Weather Report

The chasing team has won five of the past six matches at Abu Dhabi, as the dew has played a key role. However, as KKR showed last night, a good score batting first can heap pressure on the opposition. So, the team that bats first should remain focused and full of belief.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

Both teams are out of form, which makes this one difficult to predict as it is also a crunch game. RCB have been a little better than DC have in recent games, and have a strong head-to-head record against them, which makes them a good chance of winning this.

However, this game, despite the dominance of chasing teams, could actually be decided by whether the team batting first can notch up a score in the region of 170 to put plenty of pressure on their opponent.