The second part of the double header in the Indian Premier League on Saturday sees another team guaranteed to make it to three wins when the Delhi Capitals go up against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the latest contest in Sharjah.
Both teams head into this match with two wins and a defeat to their name so far in the competition so whoever wins here will set the pace in the league ladder alongside the team that wins the first part of the double header on Saturday.
Delhi Capitals
After winning their first two matches the Delhi Capitals were beginning to look ominously strong but they came crashing down to earth last time out when they were surprisingly well beaten by the Sunrisers Hyderabad side so they will be looking to showcase their best form here once again. Prior to then they had won two matches and while they stole a win in their opening game, they dominated the Chennai Super Kings in the second one.
One observation you could make for this Delhi side is that they haven’t beaten a whole lot. Their two wins have come against the Kings XI Punjab and the Chennai Super Kings and they are the two teams who sit at the foot of the table, the only two without a second win to their name in the tournament. Delhi have a top quality bowling attack but on this ground you would think their success or otherwise will be determined by how many of their powerful batsmen can get going.
Kolkata Knight Riders
It has been the reverse for the Kolkata Knight Riders. They were well beaten in their first match but have responded nicely since then to pick up a couple of wins. That first loss was when their bowlers were taken to the cleaners by the Mumbai Indians but to be fair to them they made the necessary changes and since then have not conceded 150 in either of their last two matches. That has taken the heat away from the batting which has performed how you would expect it to have done.
Pat Cummins had a shocker in the opening game but he has shown why the Knight Riders were prepared to pay the big bucks for him in the auction. He has led the bowling to deliver the goods but even he will be tested to the full here on a ground where all four innings to date have been 200 or more and where the boundaries are so tiny that with his pace even edges and mishits could well go for six. The Knight Riders will need their batting to win them this match you would think.
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Key Men
Rishabh Pant has got three starts in the tournament so far but he hasn’t gone on and made that really telling contribution which could well come here if he is on his game. The dimensions of this ground are perfect for his clean hitting to come to the party.
Andre Russell was sent in to bat at four in the previous game and rewarded the decision with three sixes. He could well be employed in a similar position here and on a tiny ground the reward for such a risk could be very profitable indeed.
Betting
At 21.5 the sixes line is beginning to get a little out of hand here but we’re not quite there yet when you consider the power that is on show in these two batting line ups and how small the ground is. Let’s focus on the line itself first. 21.5 is a lot but so far in Sharjah we’ve had totals of 33 and 29 and the first of those was in a match involving the Chennai Super Kings whose batting hasn’t really got going to date. That suggests the line isn’t quite high enough yet.
That is even more the case when you think the Kolkata Knight Riders squad was built for an Eden Gardens ground which isn’t the biggest either. Their entire top six can all clear most ropes in the world let alone these ones while the power that the Delhi Capitals have in their top six is frightening if they all come alive at the same time. While there are some decent bowlers on show these boundaries make it a batsman’s game here. That 21.5 line may feel high but it isn’t that big and I expect it to be covered.
Tips
WON – Back Over 21.5 sixes for a 3/10 stake at 1.85 with BetVictor
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