The Delhi Capitals and Kings Xi Punjab sides lock horns in the 2nd game of this season. Its the ultimate battle of the teams from the north of India, both of which have never won the IPL till date. If we look at both the sides, we will end up finding match winners, game changers and a bunch of upcoming youngsters which is why this match will be an exciting one for the fans.
Kings XI Punjab have a change of leadership as their Ex-Captain Ravichandran Ashwin is all set to turn up for the Delhi Capitals this season. As a captain, Ashwin didn’t have the best record as his side failed to qualify for the playoffs last season. Moreover, he was more in the news for his Mankad dismissal of Rajasthan Royals’ wicket-keeper Jos Buttler than for his performance as a captain.
Shreyas Iyer is all set to lead his side for a third consecutive year as they finished 3rd in the points table last season. Whereas KL Rahul will debut this season as the captain of an IPL franchise. He’s led India in an inning in the absence of Virat Kohli last year which is why many consider him as the future captain of the Indian cricket team.
With the match expected to a clash of DC and KXIP, let’s take a look at the 5 players to watch out for in this game:
1. Rishabh Pant
The Delhi boy is touted as the future wicket-keeper of the Indian National cricket team. We have seen him display his skills as an aggressive batsman in past for the Delhi franchise. The latter’s best season was in the year 2018 where he smashed 684 runs for the Delhi at an average of 52.3 striking around the 170s mark.
Delhi will hope their favourite son to shine once again as they begin their hunt for their maiden IPL trophy. On a personal note, Rishabh will also look to score big to be in the good books of the national selectors.
2. KL Rahul
The Karnataka batsmen will be making his debut as the captain of the Kings XI Punjab side this season. After spending his initial years with the SRH and RCB franchise, Rahul has finally got the opportunity to lead the KXIP side for the very first time.
If we look at his statistics of the previous two years, KL Rahul has surpassed the 500-run mark in both seasons. His best season coming off in 2018 where he scored 683 runs which included 6 fifties.
If all goes well, we expect him to fire big this season as well but this time as the captain of the side. Also, it remains to be seen if captaincy brings additional pressure on him.
3. Mujeeb Ur Rahman
The mystery spinner from Afghanistan is one of those players who have come up the ranks in the last two years. He opens the bowling for his side and is known to bowl plenty of variations. In past seasons he opened the bowling for Kings XI Punjab and picked wickets early on in the innings.
Despite not being at his best last season for the Punjab based franchise. Coming from the back of a good CPL, we expect him to perform better since the dry pitches in UAE would suit his bowling.
4. Prithvi Shaw
The India U-19 captain is another player we should watch out since he’s coming into this season as an India player. We all remember how he smashed a 100 on his Test debut against West Indies last year. It will be a serious crime if we count out a player like Prithvi Shaw, even though he has come through a lot of off the field controversy for the consumption of unprescribed medicines.
In last two seasons for the Delhi Capitals, Prithvi has scored 598 runs which includes a 99 last season. Even though he hasn’t been able to convert the starts into big scores, a player with so much talent cannot be ruled out by any margin.
Shaw will look to make the most of the opportunity and put as many runs as possible under his belt and give Delhi a solid star.
5. Ravichandran Ashwin
Its ex-team vs current team for the spin-bowling all-rounder. Ravichandran Ashwin led the Punjab side for two years, But could not bring the required results to the franchise. Moreover, a rift was reported between Ashwin and the Punjab team management which is why he made a trade move out of Punjab.
But as we go about things in this IPL, Ashwin is expected to play a bigger role for the Delhi side this season. He is expected to bowl his full quota of 4 overs while also nudge up few runs batting down the order.