IPL 2021 Match 2 – Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Capitals Betting Preview

IPL 2021: Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Capitals – Preview, Prediction, Probable Playing XI and Value Bets

Match Details
Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Saturday, April 10th, 2021
16:00 SA Time

Betting Preview

The second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is between the three-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and last edition’s finalists Delhi Capitals (DC) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. MS Dhoni-led men in yellow have quite a one-sided record in their favour against Delhi Capitals with 15 victories in 23 matches. But the tides have changed and Delhi Capitals have a team capable of dominating the Super Kings.

Last year, the Yellow Army dropped to their worst season in IPL history, failing to make the top four for the first time. CSK lost eight of their first 11 matches and finished the season in seventh place. They have brought some worthwhile squad additions in Robin Uthappa and Moeen Ali. Uthappa is coming into the tournament off the back of some great form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Moeen Ali’s spin hitting ability is a huge boost for the team. CSK’s bowling.is a huge concern with no reliable Indian spin options and lack of express pace.

Delhi Capitals have made rapid progress under Ricky Ponting’s as the head coach. After finishing third in 2019, DC went one step further and reached the final in 2020. DC have a pretty solid team in both batting and bowling. Opener Shikhar Dhawan has done a great job in the last few IPL seasons. Prithvi Shaw’s recent form in domestic cricket has been nothing short of outrageous. DC’s new skipper Rishabh Pant has won everyone over with his recent exploits in international cricket. High on confidence, Pant will be looking to lead from the front. While DC’s pace bowling could be an issue for them with Rabada and Nortje unavailable, they do have quality spinners in R Ashwin and Amit Mishra.

Injury and Availability News

DC have their task cut out as they won’t have the services of the South African pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje due to the mandatory quarantine period. Axar Patel, who had tested Covid positive could also miss the match. CSK’s Lungi Ngidi is also in quarantine and will miss the first game.

Probable Playing XI

Chennai Super Kings

Robin Uthappa/Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina/Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma

Delhi Capitals

Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith/Shimron Hetmyer, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Marcus Stoinis, Tom Curran, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma

Pitch and Conditions

Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is one of the high-scoring grounds. The pitch generally offers assistance for fast bowlers. The average first-innings scores in T20s at Wankhede in 2017, 2018 and 2019 were 176, 171 and 175 respectively. Pitch is expected to produce batting-friendly tracks.

Key Players to Watch Out For

Faf du Plessis: The former South Africa skipper has given CSK stability at the top of the order. In the 2020 IPL, Faf du Plessis scored 449 runs at a strike rate of 140 for CSK. Faf du Plessis loves pace on the bat and his ability to take on the pacers could prove valuable for CSK considering their other batsmen might struggle on a fast, bouncy track.

Robin Uthappa: The Karnataka batsman is coming off an incredible run of form in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy. Robin Uthappa scored 377 runs in 6 innings where he averaged 75.40. Uthappa is one those players who play with great intent and can give CSK some explosive starts. The right handed batsman has previously won the Orange Cap in 2014 for a 660-run season.

Prithvi Shaw: DC’s Prithvi Shaw is one of the most destructive batters when on song. Shaw had started his season with a flurry of blistering knocks in 2020. He’s also in a terrific form of late having scored 827 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at an average of 165. Shaw put up three 150-plus scores in the record season. The Mumbai batsman will have an added advantage of playing on his home patch.

Rishabh Pant: Indian wicket-keeper batsman has made a brand of himself. The mad lad has went through a rough patch and has risen from the ashes. Rishabh Pant had set IPL on fire for three consecutive years scoring 350-plus runs at over 160 strike rate in 2017, 2018 & 2019. He smashed two 70-plus scores at over 150 strike rate in two ODIs against England. Pant had a below average season in 2020 but now with form and confidence on his side, the DC skipper will look to redeem himself.

What Bets To Take

Chennai Super Kings

Faf du Plessis to be CSK’s top batsman at 3.60.

Imran Tahir to be CSK’s top bowler at 3.60.

Delhi Capitals

Shikhar Dhawan to be DC’s top batsman at 3.50.

Kagiso Rabada to be DC’s top bowler at 2.80.

Prediction: Delhi Capitals to win at 1.68.