After setting up base in Visakhapatnam for the first half of the season, DC are back in the national capital for their first game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium this season. DC played two games in Vizag this year, winning one and losing the other. DC return to Arun Jaitley Stadium for the first time in the IPL 2024 with a mega encounter against high-flying Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.
DC have managed to string together two victories in a row and have placed themselves fairly well on the points table (currently sixth) considering they had just one victory in their first five matches. But as they gear up for the first match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in IPL 2024, their task of sustaining the momentum won’t be that easy. For their opponents are Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have redefined T20 batting with their belligerent approach and are entering this game after surpassing their own record for the highest IPL total.
DC vs SRH Previous match performances.
Rishabh Pant-led DC are sixth on the points table with just three wins and four losses from seven matches. Delhi who played two of their home games in Visakhapatnam this season, will be returning to their original home ground. Playing their first game in Delhi will be special for the side and it will surely boost their confidence for the upcoming match.
DC are coming off two back-to-back wins, defeating Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets. In their last game against Gujarat Titans (GT), the Delhi-based franchise displayed great bowling efforts and bundled out their opposition for 89 runs, making it the lowest total of the season, and won the game with ease.
On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad have blown hot and cold in the tournament, having won four and lost two encounters from six matches. However, after winning their last three games, Pat Cummins and Co. will be highly motivated to continue their winning rhythm against DC.
DC VS SRH Head-to-Head Record:
| Matches Played | 23 |
| Delhi Capitals won | 11 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad won | 12 |
| No Result | 01 |
11-12 (including one Super over finish which DC won in 2021). DC have a good record in recent years, having won five of the last six clashes against SRH.
DC vs SRH Pitch Report
The surface in Delhi, previously known for being slow and offering low-scoring surfaces, underwent a significant transformation before the ODI World Cup 2023. These revamped pitches have now become batting paradises, resulting in high-scoring encounters. However, during the Women’s Premier League (WPL) matches held in March, the surfaces showed mixed characteristics. While some pitches heavily favored the batters, others assisted the bowlers. The team that wins the toss will look to bat first.
This will be the first match of the season in Delhi, with the venue taking a break after hosting the second half of the Women’s Premier League. There were a few high-scoring games in the initial stages of the WPL in Delhi but the pitch became slower as the tournament progressed, leading to smaller totals. It remains to be seen how the unknown conditions of the venue will influence decision at the toss.
It’s the first game in Delhi this season, and Ponting said the pitch looked good with more grass cover on the square than last year, and he expects it to play better than it did in 2023, when Capitals lost five of their seven home games.
Big picture – Delhi Capitals’ homecoming
After setting up base in Visakhapatnam for the first half of the season, Delhi Capitals are back in the national capital for their first game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium this season. Capitals played two games in Vizag this year, winning one and losing the other.
For Capitals captain Rishabh Pant, it will be his first appearance in front of the Delhi home crowd after his return to competitive cricket since his horror car crash in December 2022. Pant, after a slow start to the season, has found his rhythm, scoring 210 from seven games with two fifties. His strike rate of 156.72 is also his best in an IPL season since 2019. He has been excellent behind the stumps as well, and was named Player of the Match in Capitals’ last game primarily for his wicketkeeping.
But Capitals’ homecoming could easily end up not being a happy one as they go up against a rampaging Sunrisers Hyderabad side that has not once, but twice broken the record for the highest total in the history of the IPL.
How Khaleel Ahmed and Ishant Sharma go in the powerplay against Sunrisers’ explosive left-handed opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma could be the deciding factor in how the match shapes up.
Team news and Impact Player strategy
Delhi Capitals
Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting was optimistic about opener David Warner returning from a finger injury. Ponting said Warner was “85-90%” fit on the day of their last match in Ahmedabad, but a final call on his availability for Saturday will be taken after he trains on the eve of the match against Sunrisers.
If Warner returns, he could slot in directly for Sumit Kumar, as Capitals played their last match with just three overseas players. But one of Shai Hope or Jake Fraser-McGurk could also make way, if they don’t want to mess with their batting order too much.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers have a fully fit squad and will likely field the same side they did in their last match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. While Travis Head has been the player subbed out when they have batted first and subbed in while chasing, they will likely start with, or bring in, Mayank Markande depending on the toss. However, if they are batting first and are facing a collapse, Rahul Tripathi is an option as well.
In the spotlight – Kuldeep Yadav and Heinrich Klaasen
With Sunrisers boasting of two powerful spin-hitters in Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen, Kuldeep Yadav with his left-arm wrist spin could be key for Capitals. An injury earlier in the season meant he has only played four games so far in IPL 2024, picking up six wickets, but he has been difficult to get away. He has achieved an economy rate of 6.06, and has only gone for more than a run a ball once, against Rajasthan Royals.
With Kuldeep and Axar Patel in Capitals’ ranks, Heinrich Klassen’s ability to take down spin will be of great importance to Sunrisers. Among batters with more than 200 runs, only Dinesh Karthik has a better strike rate this season than Klassen’s 199.21. He is also the most prolific six-hitter not only in this year’s IPL but in all T20s in 2024.
Vital Stats that matters
- Sunrisers have the two fastest scorers in the powerplay, this season in Head and Abhishek, who have struck at 207 and 206 respectively in the first six overs in IPL 2024.
- Pat Cummins has a superb record against left-hand batters this season: five wickets at an average of 14.00, and an economy rate of just 6.56. He could come up against three Capitals’ left-handers on Saturday in David Warner, Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel.
- Capitals have won four of their last five matches against Sunrisers. The one defeat came at the Arun Jaitley Stadium last year.
DC vs SRH Probable Playing XIs
Delhi Capitals:
Prithvi Shaw, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant (C/Wk.), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Sumit Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Abhishek Porel
Impact substitute – Khaleel Ahmed
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, K Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klassen (Wk.), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (C), Mayank Markande, Jaydev Unadkat, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Impact substitute – T Natarajan
Fantasy Playing XI DC vs SRH : Jake Fraser-McGurk, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klassen (Wk.), Rishabh Pant (C/Wk.), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan
Best Players of the Match
Probable Best Batter
Hyderabad’s opener Travis Head could be the best batter for his side’s upcoming game against Delhi Capitals. With a knock of 102 runs in his previous game, Head will be keen on putting in a similar performance against DC and propelling his side to their fifth win of the season.
Probable Best Bowler
SRH skipper Pat Cummins could be the best bowler in the upcoming game against Delhi Capitals. With 09 wickets in 06 matches, Cummins has been in brilliant form, and his spell could go a long way in propelling his side to a win. In the last game against RCB, Cummins bowled a match-winning spell of 3/43.
DC vs SRH Match Prediction.
Scenario 1
Delhi Capitals win the toss and bat
Power Play score – 60-70
First Innings Score – 200-210
Sunrisers Hyderabad win the match
Scenario 2
Sunrisers Hyderabad win the toss and bat
Power Play score – 70-80
First Innings Score – 210-220
Sunrisers Hyderabad win the match