IPL 2024, DC vs KKR: Decoding the key player battles
Match 16 of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) will see the battle between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR must be high on confidence, having won both their fixtures so far Meanwhile, DC opened their account in the preceding outing after losing two on the trot. Here we look at the player battles that can be on display.
David Warner vs Sunil Narine
David Warner relishes playing against the Knight Riders and will look to make his mark once again. His tally of 1,075 IPL runs at 44.79 against KKR is the highest for any batter. KKR might bring senior spinner Sunil Narine to stop him. Narine has dismissed Warner twice in the IPL. However, the former has smacked the mystery spinner for 195 runs (SR: 158.53).
Rishabh Pant vs Varun Chakravarthy
DC skipper Rishabh Pant scored a fiery fifty against Chennai Super Kings in his last outing. KKR bowlers would not want to see his wrath. Pant is certain to tackle mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy in the middle overs. Their battle would be enticing. Chakaravarthy has dismissed Pant once across four IPL meetings, conceding 24 runs off 20 balls.
Andre Russell vs Axar Patel
Andre Russell's career strike rate of 175.54 is the highest for any player in IPL history. He even scored a fiery 64* in KKR's maiden assignment this season. It will be interesting to see how left-arm spinner Axar Patel bowls to Russell. Notably, Russell strikes at 192.85 against Axar. The latter has dismissed the KKR dasher once across six IPL innings.
Rinku Singh vs Kuldeep Yadav
Rinku Singh is yet to make a significant contribution this season. He would want to go big against the Capitals. However, the left-handed batter remains vulnerable against spin. He strikes at just 104.78 against spinners in the IPL. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who tackles the left-handed batters well, could be a threat to Rinku. The two haven't faced each other much in IPL.
Key details about the match
The Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam will host this duel on April 3 (7:30pm IST). The venue has hosted 13 T20 matches with the average run rate of teams batting first reading 7.99. Chasing sides have won on seven occasions. Star Sports will telecast the match and fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema for free.
