IPL 2020 – Match 23 – RR v DC Betting Preview

Match Details
Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Capitals
Sharjah cricket stadium, Sharjah
Friday, 09th October 2020
16:00 SA Time

IPL 2020: Match 23–RR v DC Preview, Prediction, Probable Playing XI and Value bets.

Preview

Two teams with contrasting fortunes in the season so far- DC have won four of itsfive5 matches whereas RR have lost all of its three previous games- face off in the 23rd match of IPL 2020.

After getting off to a perfect start to the season, winning both of their first two encounters, Rajasthan Royals had a reality check as they went on to lose all of their following three games. Although their batting line-up looks solid enough to take on any bowling attack, their bowling is extremely mediocre with only Archer impressing with the ball and getting no support from the other end. With the kind of form Delhi’s batting has been in and the fact that the match is played at a small ground like Sharjah, Rajasthan appears to be in big trouble.

Their bowling has already conceded 223 once at Sharjah but thanks to Tewatia’s late heroics, they chased it down also making it the greatest successful run chase in the history of IPL. Sanju Samson who looked in fine touch when the season started, played two brilliant knocks at Sharjah but has failed miserably at all other venues so this will be a good chance for him to find his form back. With Smith and Butler looking in excellent touch, it will be upon them to turn their fate around and take their side over the line.

Delhi has looked one of the strongest sides this season and has all its base covered. The promising young Indian core has delivered time and again for the Delhi side and they look the more balanced side on paper. Starting the season with a lucky win- defeating KXIP in the super over by the barest of margins- they have gone on to dominate all other games except for a minor setback against SRH where they failed to chase a pretty average total against Hyderabad’s formidable bowling attack.

They come into the game after registering a thumping win against RCB where they put up a near perfect performance in all departments. All of their top-order batsmen- Shaw, Dhawan, Iyer and Pant- look in solid form and have given solid starts to the team throughout the season. With an in-form Stoinis and a destructive Hetmeyer to follow, the batting line-up looks dangerous and will look to go all gun blazing against a very weak Rajasthan bowling attack.

When it comes to their bowling, they have Rabada who has been phenomenal so far and is also the purple cap holder. He comes into the game having a sensational game against RCB where he picked up 4 wickets. All of their other bowlers- Nortje, Ashwin and Axar Patel- have bowled very tight picking up crucial wickets and hence if Delhi were to replicate their on paper strength on the field, they will be invincible.

Injury and Availability News

None.

Probable Playing XI

Delhi Capitals

Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmeyer, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Harshal Patel

Rajasthan Royals

Jos Buttler, Yashashvi Jaiswal /Robin Uthappa, Steve Smith (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Tom Curran, Rahul Tewatia, Kartik Tyagi, Ankit Rajpoot.

Key Players to watch out for

Shreyas Iyer: This young Indian talent is widely known for his batting prowess and even though he couldn’t convert his solid starts into big scores initially, his blistering knock of 88 runs off just 38 balls against KKR was a testimony of the player he truly is. A clean striker of the ball, Iyer leads the team by example and Delhi’s batting will highly depend on him yet again.

Kagiso Rabada: The leading wicket-taker in this IPL so far with 12 wickets in 5 games under his name, Rabada is the fiercest weapon in Delhi’s arsenal. Currently one of the best death bowlers in the world, his spell will possibly be the most crucial spell as he can turn match around single-handedly by picking up crucial wickets, thanks to his fiery speed and penetrative bowling capabilities.

Jos Buttler: The most consistent batsman of the franchise for quite a few seasons now, Buttler has come to Rajasthan’s rescue on numerous occasions and has single-handedly won matches for his side. Unable to make a positive impact early on in the season even after good starts, Jos proved his mettle against Mumbai as he was the lone warrior in an otherwise dismal batting performance by RR. His knock of 70 runs off 44 was full of grit and determination and came at a time when he had no support from the other end. A small batsmen-friendly ground like Sharjah is ideal for Buttler’s style of batting, thus making him a key player to watch out for.

Value Bets

Rajasthan Royals

Jos Buttler to be Rajasthan Royals top batsman at 2.00

Jofra Archer to be Rajasthan Royals top bowler at 2.25

Delhi Capitals

Shikhar Dhawan to be Delhi Capitals top batsman at 3.00

Kagiso Rabada to be Delhi Capitals top bowler at 1.75

Prediction: Delhi Capitals to win at 0.66