Afghanistan cricketer Najeeb Tarakai passes away in a road accident | Sad news as 29-year old Najeeb Tarakai passes away after road accident last week
Afghanistan cricketer Najeeb Tarakai passed away on October 6. The top-order batsman was involved in a fatal accident and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition wherein he went under surgery. The Afghanistan Cricket Board tweeted about the incident saying that Tarakai was hit by a passing car when he was crossing the road after coming out of a grocery market at Eastern Nangarhar.
“ACB and Afghanistan Cricket Loving Nation mourns the heart breaking and grievous loss of its aggressive opening batsman & a very fine human being Najeeb Tarakai (29) who lost his life to a tragic traffic accident leaving us all shocked,” ACB tweeted.
ACB and Afghanistan Cricket Loving Nation mourns the heart breaking & grievous loss of its aggressive opening batsman & a very fine human being Najeeb Tarakai (29) who lost his life to tragic traffic accident leaving us all shocked!
It’s very sad to learn Our Friend and Very Fine Cricketer Najeeb Tarakai lost his life to the injuries he was suffering from the recent accident. His loss kept us all stunned and speechless. My deepest condolences to his family and all friends. May his Soul Rest in Peace. pic.twitter.com/OwnQiRWrRV
The #AfghanistanCricket team and what they have achieved in a short period of time in the international cricket competitions has been a source of pride for us all. The loss of one of our teams stars #Najeebtarakai is indeed very tragic. Condolences to his family and team mates. pic.twitter.com/957bWC2U4S
A sad day for Cricket as Afghanistan cricketer Najeeb Tarakai lost his battle with life and passed away after reportedly, suffering a car accident. He was promising young and talented cricketer of Afghanistan Cricket Team. May his soul rest in Peace!#Najeebtarakai#cricketpic.twitter.com/hIEO3Tlmnd
Tarakai had played one T20 international and 12 ODIs for Afghanistan as an opener. His best T20 was against Ireland, where he had scored 90 in 2017. “After being the top scorer for Speen Ghar Tigers in the Shpageeza Cricket League last year, he was part of the Mis Ainak Knights squad in their run to the finals last month”, said ICC statement.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar ruled out of IPL 2020 due to injury | Bhuvneshwar Kumar suffers another injury setback – ruled out of rest of IPL 2020
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is ruled out of IPL 2020 after his hamstring injury in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s game against Chennai Super Kings. While bowling his 19th over, Kumar limped off while taking run-up after one ball. Even after giving it some attention along with physio’s help the fast bowler couldn’t finish his over and was given to Khaleel Ahmed. The nature of the injury is not known yet.
In the first four games of the season, Kumar picked three wickets at an economy rate of 6.98. His injury will take a toll on team’s performance. The pacer’s injuries have been an issue since couple of years now. In IPL 2018, he missed five of 17 games and in same year during England tour he missed one T20I and two ODI matches.
Update ?
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is ruled out of #Dream11IPL 2020 due to injury. We wish him a speedy recovery!
Prithvi Raj Yarra will replace Bhuvi for the remainder of the season.#OrangeArmy#KeepRising
Even in the 2019 World Cup he missed matches against Afghanistan, West Indies and England owing to hamstring injury. The IPL was his best shot to prove his fitness levels, but things look tricky for the pacer. Apart from SRH, Delhi Capitals have also lost their senior spinner Amit Mishra from IPL 2020 due to finger injury. During their fixture agaisnt KKR on October 3, the leggie sustained a ring finger injury.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
Dinesh Karthik should step down in the batting order: Gautam Gambhir | Gambhir says that Dinesh Karthik should bat further down the order for KKR
The former captain of Kolkata Knight Riders Gautam Gambhir has come up with yet another opinion on current skipper Dinesh Karthik. Commenting on the batting order of the team, Gambhir said to ESPNcricinfo, “Rahul Tripathi goes up the order, Dinesh Karthik plays at no 6, not before Morgan and not before Russell as well. Probably Sunil Narine goes to bat at 8 or 9. If Morgan bats no 4 and Russell at 5 and Dinesh Karthik to follow”.
Though Karthik hasn’t managed to come up well with his batting, the team’s performance looks convincing. After last match’s dismissal Gambhir pointed out that the team’s best bowler needs to ball after 18th over and so on. “Your best bowlers need to ball the 18th, 19th and 20th over, unfortunately it didn’t happen. Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine — if a spinner has to bowl. Even Mavi, he did a fabulous job in the previous games and so did Andre Russell. You have to got to give your best bowlers. Yes Varun Chakravarty did bowl well in the first few overs but you cannot expect a young spinner to be bowling the 19th over and that too in Sharjah, probably it was a miscalculation”, he said.
Gambhir said that KKR gave out 20-25 runs extra during thise match in Sharjah, “It is never finished till it is finished, that’s what we saw in Sharjah. These are too many runs, probably, 20-25 runs more than what KKR was expecting. It was the brilliance of (Anrich) Nortje, just backing himself which actually changed the fortune of the match”, he added.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
MS Dhoni hops to another milestone; takes 100th catches in IPL | MS Dhoni takes 100th catch in CSK’s thumping win over KXIP.
Chennai Super Kings bounced back in the league with much aplomb. After losing three matches in a row, the men in yellow killed it with a match-winning performance backed by Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis. MS Dhoni, who led the team, also marked a new record of 100 catches in an IPL when he took Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) captain KL Rahul’s wicket in the 18th over.
In Shardul Thakur’s over, Rahul looked strong at 63, but he was caught wide on the off stump as Dhoni pounced at the wicket in complete control doing his regular stunts from behind the stumps. Dhoni joins the group of 100+ catches along with Dinesh Karthik at 103 and Suresh Raina at 100.
After winning the toss, Kings XI Punjab choose to bat and scored 178/4 in 20 overs. Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson chased the winning total with an unbeaten 181 partnership – the highest ever for CSK. Du Plessis’s 87 in 53 and Watson’s 83 in 53 balls came with 11 boundaries each.
Not just the openers played well, even the bowling department stood by their responsibilities and did the small things right which the captain wanted from the team right from their second loss. “I think we did the small things. That’s what was important to us. The kind of start we got in batting, that’s what we needed. Hopefully, we’ll be able to replicate this in the coming games”, said Dhoni in the post-match presentation.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
IPL 2020 Match 20: MI vs RR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MI vs RR Dream11 Prediction Today | Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report
It was the start of dreams for Rajasthan Royals. Sanju Samson was at the heart of it all, smashing 74 and 89, to set a platform for the likes of Steve Smith and Rahul Tewatia to do their thing.
However, that was Sharjah. The Royals have struggled badly outside of the ground where they won their first two games, which included the highest run-chase in IPL history. So, the onus will be on their batsmen – particularly the top order – to deliver against a quality a side, after consective underwhelming performances to burst the balloon somewhat.
It won’t be easy against Mumbai Indians, who are finding some fine form. However, Mumbai have struggled against the Royals in recent times, losing their last four games against them. So, you can bet that Rohit Sharma and co. will have the team focused and ready for this important match; a match which represents an opportunity to go back to the top of the table.
The beauty of MI is that they have a number of players who can deliver when needed. Whether it’s Rohit, Kishan and Pollard or de Kock, Yadav and Krunal, there is an abundant amount of talent in the top seven that holds them in good stead. They will be after a repeat here, as well as another cohesive bowling display, after becoming the first team to restrict a team under 200 at Sharjah in IPL 2020.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Rohit Sharma at Abu Dhabi in IPL 2020: 3 matches, 162 runs, avg. 54.00. Rohit everywhere else in IPL 2020: 14 runs in two matches. He is back at Abu Dhabi today.
Can Rohit improve on his average of 20.13 in 16 innings vs the Royals?
RR need Sanju Samson to have a big game. He has the most runs out of any player in the history of MI-RR matches (431 runs, in 12 matches, avg. 35.92, SR 144.63).
RR also need Jos Buttler to fire. The England star has had a slow start to the tournament, but loves playing against MI: 3 matches, 189 runs, avg. 94.00, SR 181.93, HS 94.
Steve Smith vs MI: 12 matches, 412 runs, avg. 51.50, SR 130.79. If Smith can hold up an end well, it allows the likes of Buttler and Samson to play freely.
Kieron Pollard is in brilliant form. The MI and West Indian stalwart is striking at 208.97 so far in IPL 2020 (only one dismissal in 163 runs), a few weeks after striking above 200 on the slow pitches of CPL 2020. Also, Pollard has the most runs of any current MI player against RR (17 matches, 251 runs, avg. 25.07, SR 138.19).
Quinton de Kock bounced back into some form, with 67 (39) last game vs SRH. In even better news for MI, QdK enjoys playing RR, with scores of 65 (47) and 81 (52) against them last season.
Hardik Pandya has 91 runs vs RR at a strike rate of 185.71. Krunal Pandya, who was superb vs SRH (20* off 4 balls & 1/35), has four wickets in four games vs RR.
Jasprit Bumrah always bounces back after conceding 10 an over in an IPL match. On the six occasions this has happened, Bumrah has taken a total of 13 wickets.
Jofra Archer has an outstanding record vs MI: 4 matches, 9 wickets, econ. 6.19.
Rahul Chahar at Abu Dhabi so far in IPL 2020: 1/36, 2/26, 2/26.
Trent Boult and James Pattinson have been strong so far in IPL 2020. Boult has eight wickets in five matches, followed closely by Pattinson with seven.
IPL 2020 Match 20: MI vs RR Preview Dream11: Is this the game where Jos Buttler goes big?
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 23, MI 11, RR 11, 1 abandoned.
RR have won their past four matches against MI, which makes for an interesting backstory.
RR should pick Ankit Rajpoot and bowl him against Rohit. In four games, he’s dismissed Rohit twice. Rohit has an average of 3.50 and a strike-rate of 64 against Rajpoot.
The case for Rajpoot vs Rohit grows louder as RR is the worst powerplay team with the ball so far in 2020. They have taken just two wickets in four games (econ. 8.50, balls-per-boundary ratio of 4.70).
Should RR bat Samson at four? His strike-rate of 228 in the death overs since IPL 2018 is second only to AB de Villiers and Rishabh Pant.
Robin Uthappa has really struggled in the middle order for RR. So, there is a case to shift him to opener, pushing Smith to three and Samson to four. Also, Riyan Parag’s poor form could mean he misses this game.
Rajasthan Royals: 1. Jos Buttler (wk), 2. Steven Smith (c), 3. Sanju Samson, 4. Robin Uthappa, 5. Rahul Tewatia, 6. Mahipal Lomror, 7. Riyan Parag/Ankit Rajpoot, 8. Tom Curran, 9. Jofra Archer, 10. Shreyas Gopal, 11. Jaydev Unadkat
Abu Dhabi Pitch and Weather Report
The team batting first has won 14 of 19 matches at IPL 2020. At Abu Dhabi, though, both the team setting a score and chasing have won three games each. In IPL 2020, the average first-innings score has been 168 but the average winning first-innings score is 183 at Abu Dhabi.
Mumbai Indians have won both their games on this ground in IPL 2020 (avg. score 193). Rajasthan Royals lost comprehensively to RCB.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
IPL 2020 Match 20: MI vs RR Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
IPL 2020 Match 20: MI vs RR Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
MI are the favourites, but the result is far from certain. RR have an excellent record vs MI, and even though MI are in fine form, Steve Smith’s team have what it takes to beat them here. This could be a tight match, where the result will be decided in the final over or two.
IPL 2020 Match 19: RCB vs DC Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | RCB vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report
An all-top four clash makes this Monday an exciting one in IPL 2020. Two sides who have underperformed in the past have made promising starts to their respective campaigns this time around, and have the chance to go top of the table with a win in Dubai.
Royal Challengers Bangalore dispatched Rajasthan Royals with ease on Saturday, and will be out to continue the momentum here. The talented Devdutt Padikkal and rejuvinated Virat Kohli steered the ship towards an easy target, after the bowlers, led by the wily Yuzvendra Chahal, delivered the goods. But, while the win was comprehensive, RCB will still be after some improvement at the death, with some loose deliveries letting Rajasthan cross 150 in the end.
Delhi Capitals return to Dubai after a trip to high-scoring Sharjah. Their mammoth 228 was enough to beat KKR, holding their nerve at the death with Eoin Morgan threatening to steal it all. Before that, though, Shreyas Iyer put on a clinic, with a magnificent 88* off just 38 balls building on the excellent start by Prithvi Shaw and hitting of Rishabh Pant. So, in a high-stakes clash here, will it be Delhi who overcome Bangalore to go top of the table?
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Shreyas Iyer, coming off a man of the match performance vs KKR, scored two half centuries vs RCB in 2019 (67 and 52).
Virat Kohli hit form against RR, after a slow start to IPL 2020. In even better news for RCB, Kohli has an outstanding record vs DC, with a mammoth 849 runs at an average of 65.31.
Devdutt Padikkal has struck three fifties in four matches in IPL 2020. Two of these have come in three games at Dubai.
Rishabh Pant has been consistent in IPL 2020 (scores of 31, 37*, 28, 38). Is this the game where he goes bigger and crosses 50? According to his recent performances and stats vs RCB (274 runs, avg. 39.14, SR 156.57), Pant is set for another 30+ score.
AB de Villiers is enjoying a strong IPL 2020 campaign so far (146 runs, avg. 73.00, SR 178.04). Also, the great ABD loves playing against DC, with 430 runs against them at an average of 61.43 (SR 164.12).
Prithvi Shaw has scored two fifties in four matches so far in IPL 2020.
Aaron Finch has an excellent record vs Delhi Capitals, In eight games against them, he has scored 284 runs at an average in excess of 40 (SR 146.39). This is his best batting average against any current IPL side.
Yuzvendra Chahal is currently the equal leading wicket-taker in IPL 2020 (8). Plus, the wily leg-spinner has the most wickets in DC-RCB matches (14).
Amit Mishra has the most wickets for DC in DC-RCB games (9). His spin partner, Ravi Ashwin, has 15 wickets in his career vs RCB (one wicket per innings on average – SR 24).
Kagiso Rabada’s 1/51 vs KKR was a rare occurrence. It was the first time he failed to take two wickets in an IPL game in the last 16 appearances. Back him to bounce back now, as he loves playing RCB: six wickets in two games.
Isuru Udana has taken four wickets in two games in IPL 2020, and is a proven T20 wicket-taker (149 in 137 games).
IPL 2020 Match 19: RCB vs DC Preview Dream11: Is this the year for RCB?
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 24, RCB 15, DC 8, NR 1.
Delhi Capitals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore twice in IPL 2019. Shikhar Dhawan (50 off 37 balls) and Kagiso Rabada (4/21) were the players of the respective matches.
The winner of this match will go to the top of the IPL 2020 table, as we near the halfway stage.
Possible Playing 11
RCB to persist with the winning combination vs RR at Abu Dhabi? There is a good chance they will, particularly given Chris Morris is still recovering from a side strain.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1. Devdutt Padikkal, 2. Aaron Finch, 3, Virat Kohli (c), 4. AB de Villiers (wk), 5. Gurkeerat Singh, 6. Shivam Dube, 7. Isuru Udana, 8. Washington Sundar, 9. Navdeep Saini, 10. Yuzvendra Chahal, 11. Adam Zampa
DC could also look to stick with a winning combination.
The team batting first has won all seven games so far in Dubai in IPL 2020. So, despite the dew, the team that wins the toss may choose to bat first and aim for a score in the region of 170. Indeed, if they get there, it could very well be a winning score, as the average first innings score is 176.57 at Dubai in IPL 2020.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
IPL 2020 Match 19: RCB vs DC Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
IPL 2020 Match 19: RCB vs DC Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
Team that bats first to win? In a tournament that is so competitive, it could very well come down to whether the team batting first can strike a score of 170+.
Courtney Walsh becomes head coach West Indies women’s team | Courtney Walsh joins the West Indies women’s team as head coach
Former West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh has been appointed as the head coach of the West Indies women’s team. He will be taking charge of the team until the end of 2022 and will head the team during the Women’s Cricket World Cup and the Women’s T20 World Cup.
“It’s an exciting challenge and I’ve always wanted to give back in any way I can and help with the development of the game in the West Indies. The experience I have, my knowledge of the game, and my overall organisational skills will be key aspects as we try to develop a winning team culture”, Walsh said in a statement.
Walsh has worked with the women’s team during T20 World Cup held in Australia and with Bangladesh’s men’s team. “I worked with the team at the Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year in Australia and in the series against India in the Caribbean last year, so I have a very good understanding of what is required. The ability and the talent are there, we have some fantastic players in the West Indies, and it will be my duty and focus to help the women to develop their talents and achieve the goals we are going to be setting together”, he added.
Jimmy Adams, Cricket West Indies director said that Walsh will be overseeing the program initially until the end of the next two ICC Women’s World Cups in 2022. “He will be pivotal in working with CWI’s High-Performance Team to move our whole women’s program forward”, he added.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
IPL 2020 Match 17: MI vs SRH Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MI vs SRH Dream11 Prediction Today | Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report
Looking at this fixture, the superb Kieron Pollard comes to mind. Hardik Pandya, Pollard’s partner in crime, said that Mumbai Indians are very lucky to have such a magnificent player in their side.
Indeed, the move to Sharjah will certainly have Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling attack on high alert. MI have hit 89 in their last five overs in two successive matches (vs RCB and KXIP respectively), with their finishing capabilities on show for all to see. Also, when you add the solid form of Rohit Sharma at the top, as well as the potential of the de Kock-Yadav-Kishan trio, MI will be out to continue the momentum they have been building since their first-up loss to CSK.
But, SRH have what it takes to challenge the IPL’s most successful team. Priyam Garg’s magnificent knock against CSK showed that SRH have some capable cover should the top order struggle, and the way they strangled CSK in the early overs was another highlight. Of course, MI at Sharjah is a whole different proposition, so it will be interesting to see which way SRH go with regards to their bowling attack, particularly with Bhuvneshwar Kumar likely to be out with a thigh injury. Also, can the likes of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow improve on slightly inconsistent performances in IPL 2020 so far?
Must admit I had my doubts about Priyam Garg's role in this SRH team. But what a knock tonight from the youngster. Has turned the game in his team's favour.#SRHvCSK#CSKvSRH#IPL2020
David Warner is yet to score a half-century so far in IPL 2020. The SRH skipper seems to be batting within himself so far, so is this the game where he fires? He has a strong record vs MI: 343 runs, avg. 49.00, SR 143.51.
Kieron Pollard is in outstanding form. He is striking at 212.30 so far in IPL 2020, after striking at over 200 in the recent CPL on slow pitches. Also, Pollard has the most runs for any MI player against SRH: 317, avg. 39.63, SR 142.79.
Rohit Sharma has hit two half centuries in four games so far in IPL 2020. However, he averages just 19.71 in 14 matches vs SRH. Can he improve on that here?
Jonny Bairstow has also hit two half centuries in four matches in IPL 2020. However, he is still averaging less than 30, which suggests that getting through the powerplay overs is crucial.
Manish Pandey and Kane Williamson round out an important top four for SRH. Pandey hit an extraordinary 71* to seal a tie vs MI last season. Williamson, on the other hand, has just 40 runs in four games vs MI. Can he improve on those numbers?
Quinton de Kock is enduring a poor run of form in IPL 2020 (48 runs, avg. 12). However, the quality of QdK can never be forgotten, and he scored 69* (58) in his last game vs SRH, back in 2019.
Interestingly, it is Krunal Pandya that has the better batting record compared to his brother vs SRH. Krunal has scored 157 runs vs SRH at an average of 31.40, with a SR of 149.52. Hardik has just 61 runs in seven innings against SRH, with a lowly SR of 67.03.
However, Hardik is always a dangerous customer, as he is coming off 30* (11) vs KXIP, as well as 402 runs at SR 191.42 in IPL 2019.
Many will be looking forward to how Priyam Garg and Abhishek Sharma perform here, after superb efforts against CSK last time out.
Jasprit Bumrah will be key on the bowling graveyard that is Sharjah. He has 10 wickets in nine matches vs SRH, and is coming off a fine spell of 2/18 vs KXIP.
Rashid Khan’s last two performances have been excellent (3/14 and 0/12). He has six wickets in six games vs MI, and it will be interesting to see how he copes with the short boundaries.
MI’s attack has performed well so far in IPL 2020, sharing the wickets. Rahul Chahar and Trent Boult both have six wickets in four games, and James Pattinson has five.
IPL 2020 Match 17 – MI vs SRH Preview Dream11: Can Warner go big?
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 14, MI 7, SRH 7.
MI beat SRH in a cracking Super Over last season. In the other game, MI bowled SRH out for 96. However, Alzarri Joseph, who took 6/12 in that game, isn’t present this time around.
Mumbai Indians have hit 89 runs in the last five overs in each of the last two games.
Possible Playing 11
If Nathan Coulter-Nile remains not quite fit enough, MI should persist with the same XI.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar pulled up with a thigh injury against CSK, so it is almost certain that he will miss this game. Siddarth Kaul could come in.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1. David Warner (c), 2. Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Kane Williamson, 5. Priyam Garg, 6. Abhishek Sharma, 7. Abdul Samad, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Siddarth Kaul, 10. T Natarajan, 11. Khaleel Ahmed
Sharjah Pitch and Weather Report
At the time of writing, the first two games at Sharjah saw all four innings cross 200. The boundary-hitting ability in both teams gives this game a look of a very high-scoring one. Also, as this is a day game, there will be no problem with dew. However, bowlers might have the challenge of dealing with sweat as the temperature is forecast to be around 40 degrees.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
IPL 2020 Match 17: MI vs SRH Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
IPL 2020 Match 17: MI vs SRH Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
Can SRH handle MI’s quality in the death overs? One feels this could have a key role in terms of how this game pans out. SRH, via their top order, can challenge MI, but MI are the deserved favourites.
IPL 2020 Match 16: DC vs KKR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction Today | Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report
Welcome back to Sharjah. All four innings at Sharjah this season have resulted in 200+ scores, which makes for a great test for the bowling attacks of both these teams, who have both displayed encouraging signs so far in IPL 2020.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ lineup is filled with power-hitters, none more so than Andre Russell. And, when you combine Russell’s prowess with Eoin Morgan’s capabilities, as well as those of Dinesh Karthik, Sunil Narine, Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana, KKR will go into this match believing they can put on a big score. Also, how will their pacers fare on this ground after a superb showing against Rajasthan Royals?
Like KKR, Delhi Capitals have two wins and one loss so far in IPL 2020. Their bowling, led by the superb Kagiso Rabada, has been encouraging, and will be tested at Sharjah. However, how will their batting, which has displayed up-and-down qualities, fare in what promises to be a high-scoring match? How will DC fare if they find themselves chasing a score in a tournament where the team setting a score has dominated?
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Shreyas Iyer has the most runs out of both current squads in Kolkata-Delhi matches (290, avg. 32.22, SR 148.72). The DC captain has made starts in IPL 2020, but has not carried on. Plus, can he improve on his strike rate of 109.33?
Andre Russell is one to watch today on the small Sharjah ground. He strikes at 198.15 in eight games for KKR vs Delhi, and is coming off an unbelievable IPL 2019 season, where he scored 510 runs at a strike rate of 204.81.
Prithvi Shaw scored 99 (55) vs KKR last season. Overall, he has 175 runs in three matches vs KKR at an average of 58.33.
Shikhar Dhawan was Player of the Match against Delhi in Kolkata last season, scoring 97* (63).
Shubman Gill is enjoying a fine tournament so far. He has scored 124 runs in three matches at an average of 62.00. Also, he is performing well as an IPL opener, with his record reading: 9 inns, 360 runs, avg. 51.43, SR 130.91.
Eoin Morgan is unbeaten in his last two knocks (42* off 29 balls and 32* off 23 balls). His ball striking will be key at Sharjah.
Rishabh Pant averages just 21 in seven matches vs KKR. However, DC will want him to play with freedom here, as his last two IPL campaigns have been excellent: 1,172 runs, avg. 45.08, SR: 173.89.
Kagiso Rabada has taken 32 wickets in his last 15 IPL matches. Incredibly, he has taken at least two wickets in each of his last 10 games.
Can previous man of the match Shivam Mavi (2/20) and Kamlesh Nagarkoti (2/13) back up their superb performance against RR? The challenge will be containing the opposition on a high-scoring ground.
Pat Cummins has hit form in his last two games. His 1/19 (4) and 1/13 (3) has set up a bowling platform for KKR in both matches.
Sunil Narine hasn’t been at his best in IPL 2020. But, he has 20 wickets in 14 games against DC, so KKR could look to persist with him despite the fact he averages only 9.25 with the bat against them (6 inns).
IPL 2020 Match 16: DC vs KKR Preview Dream11: Shikhar Dhawan to go big?
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: 25 matches, DC 11, KKR 13, 1 abandoned.
Delhi Capitals have won their past three matches against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Rishabh Pant is currently DC’s highest run-scorer in IPL 2020, with 96. Before the RR vs RCB game, 15 other players have crossed 100 runs for the tournament. So, DC need more from their batsmen.
The next-highest wicket-taker for DC after Kagiso Rabada (7) is 2, held by Ashwin, Stoinis, Axar Patel, Mishra and Nortje.
If picked, how will Kuldeep Yadav fare on this ground? He has taken just five wickets in his last 13 IPL matches.
When Sunil Narine takes at least one wicket against Delhi, KKR win 80% of their matches.
Prithvi Shaw is key for DC. When he crosses 25, DC win 87.5% of the time. When he doesn’t reach 25, this drops to 45%.
Possible Playing 11
R Ashwin could be fit for this game, but it remains to be seen if DC wish to bring him back at Sharjah.
KKR might look to stick with their winning combination, but one question is whether Kuldeep Yadav will be backed on a small ground. Also, expect to see Russell come in at four, particularly if KKR have a decent start.
This ground was home to the highest ever run chase in IPL history last time out. In four innings on this ground, 200 has been breached on all occasions, including by the struggling CSK. The temptation may be to chase with dew around, but a score in the region of 220 batting first is very much possible, and can put significant pressure on the opposition. Another high-scoring match can be expected.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
IPL 2020 Match 16: DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
IPL 2020 Match 16: DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
A high-scoring match looks to be on the cards here, with a mix of experienced and young talent in both teams. KKR’s greater power in their side could count for plenty in this clash. KKR to win.
IPL 2020 Match 15: RCB vs RR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | RCB vs RR Dream11 Prediction Today | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report
Put kindly, 2020 has been one hell of a year. Unpredictability has been followed by more unpredictability, and that has even crept into what has been a thrilling IPL 2020 to date.
Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, in the first day game of the tournament, will battle it out for a spot at the top of the table. Yes, top of the table. These two sides haven’t spent much time towards the top in recent seasons, so the incentive is there to build on promising starts for the respective franchises.
Rajasthan came crashing back to earth in their first game away from Sharjah in IPL 2020. Their comprehensive defeat at the hands of KKR is one they will want to bounce back from right away, with the onus on their batsmen to make the adjustment to the bigger grounds. They have won their past three matches against RCB, and will be banking on that factor, as well as the confidence built from their first two games this season, to perform well here.
Many believed that it could be a much-improved season for RCB. However, it is not an RCB season without its ups-and-downs, which have already been on show this campaign. Their solid first-up win against SRH was followed by an almighty thrashing at the hands of KXIP, before beating tournament favourites MI in a thrilling Super Over contest. So, a comfortable win would be calming at this point of the season, but what Kohli and his men would be after is the complete performance across the three stages of an innings, particularly at the death with the ball – an area where they continue to struggle.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Shreyas Gopal loves playing against RCB. He has taken 12 wickets in four matches against them, at an average of just 5.17 runs per wicket. In fact, Gopal has dismissed Virat Kohli three times and AB de Villiers four times.
So, the onus is on Kohli and de Villiers to overcome this record. The RCB captain has had a poor start to his campaign, and has to overcome an underwhelming record vs RR that reads: 19 inns, 367 runs, avg. 21.59, SR 106.69.
de Villiers, on the other hand, is enjoying a fine IPL 2020 campaign to date. The South African legend has 134 runs in three matches this season, at a magnificent strike rate of 186.11. Also, he still has a solid record vs RR, with the most runs in RCB-RR matches (417 runs, avg. 37.91).
Aaron Finch is the only opening batsman to not be dismissed in the powerplay so far this season. He is coming off a fine half century vs MI.
Steve Smith for RR vs RCB: 129 runs, avg. 43.00. Eyes will also be on Sanju Samson, to see whether he can follow up what he did in the opening two games. Samson has 207 runs in eight innings vs RCB, including a score of 92 (avg. 29.57, SR 160.47). Both Smith and Samson have two fifties in IPL 2020, but will need to transfer that form to Abu Dhabi.
Can Jos Buttler overcome his own slow start to IPL 2020 (25 runs in two innings)? He admitted that playing in front of no crowd is a challenge, but here is his chance to adjust further. He has 174 runs in six games vs RCB (avg. 34.80, SR 161.11).
Rahul Tewatia could also take advantage of RCB’s struggles vs legspin. Plus, he has been in good batting form, famously hitting five sixes vs Sheldon Cottrell a few days ago.
Yuzvendra Chahal has the second-most wickets in RCB-RR matches (11). These 11 wickets have come in eight matches, and has five wickets in three matches so far in IPL 2020.
Jofra Archer will also be key in testing RCB with pace. He will be keen on producing the form he showed in the recent England-Australia series. Also, Tom Curran will be looking to build on a promising showing in the death overs (both bat and ball) vs KKR.
Washington Sundar bowled absoutely superbly vs MI. His figures of 1/12 in four overs were extraordinary in a 200 vs 200 match. Also, Navdeep Saini’s improved capabilities at the death make him an important cog in RCB’s plans.
IPL 2020 Match 15: RCB vs RR Preview Dream11: Can Steve Smith lead the way?
Rajasthan Royals have won their past three games against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Rajpoot is one wicket away from 100 in T20s.
When RCB win, AB de Villiers is the key man. In their last 10 wins, de Villiers has eight half-centuries. He was unbeaten in five of those.
Possible Playing 11
Rajasthan do have an issue with regards to batsmen coming in at five or lower. R Parag has struggled for form so far, so it will be interesting to see if RR choose to replace him. Also, one feels that one of the top three needs to bat through towards the death to best take advantage of RCB’s bowling woes, unless Tom Curran and Jofra Archer can continue their decent batting form of late.
Rajasthan Royals: 1. Jos Buttler (wk), 2. Steve Smith (c), 3. Sanju Samson, 4. Robin Uthappa, 5. Manan Vohra/Riyan Parag, 6. Rahul Tewatia, 7. Shreyas Gopal, 8. Tom Curran, 9. Jofra Archer, 10. Jaydev Unadkat, 11. Ankit Rajpoot
AB de Villiers was struggling with cramp and dehydration vs MI, so it remains to be seen if he keeps wicket again. If not, RCB could look at bringing in Parthiv Patel to take the gloves. Also, Chris Morris is reportedly still recovering from that side strain that has kept him out so far this season. If he’s fit, he’ll likely replace Isuru Udana.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1. Devdutt Padikkal, 2. Aaron Finch, 3. Virat Kohli (c), 4. AB de Villiers, 5. Gurkeerat Singh/Parthiv Patel, 6. Shivam Dube, 7. Chris Morris/Isuru Udana, 8. Washington Sundar, 9. Navdeep Saini, 10. Yuzvendra Chahal, 11. Adam Zampa
Abu Dhabi Pitch and Weather Report
The team batting first has won three of five matches so far at Abu Dhabi in IPL 2020, with the latest being a comfortable win for Mumbai Indians against KXIP. Mumbai hit 89 in the last five overs of their innings, which showed that free strokeplay is possible. However, the question will be whether RCB & RR can finish as well as MI do.
Also, this is the first day game of IPL 2020. So, dew won’t be a factor. As a result, the captain who wins the toss could choose to bat, as the team batting first won 10 of the first 13 games in IPL 2020.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
IPL 2020 Match 15: RCB vs RR Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
IPL 2020 Match 15: RCB vs RR Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
A great opportunity awaits both teams. This one could come down to which team bats first, and whether they can get in the region of 170 on the board to build pressure on their opponent. RR’s good recent record vs RCB could prove vital here.
