Delhi Capitals bowlers need to stop opener Ruturaj from taking charge
A glance at the IPL table may suggest that eight wins (16 points) is a minimum to qualify for the Playoffs. If that holds true, then Delhi Capitals with 10 from 10 are on a tight-rope walk and Chennai Super Kings (6 points from 10) are already playing for pride.
But strange things have happened in IPL before with everything going topsy-turvy towards the business end. That makes CSK believe that seven wins can still be enough for the fourth team to sneak through. Albeit mathematical, there's still a chance for CSK and that's what is going to make them a dangerous proposition for Delhi.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, after an indifferent start, has suddenly found form and he has got an able partner in Devon Conway. The success of the two openers is absolutely crucial for CSK to harbour any hopes, more so with the middle-order showing signs of fragility.
While the openers are CSK's biggest hope going into this crucial match, Capitals' pace attack isn't the most potent either.
South African Anrich Nortje is back after a long injury lay-off but he is probably still not at his very best. Khaleel Ahmed and Shardul Thakur are just about serviceable in the Powerplay overs and if Ruturaj and Conway get going, it can be a long day at the office for the Capitals.
Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav has been in superb form in this IPL, but he doesn't have fond memories of playing CSK. If CSK get the start that they so crave for, asking Kuldeep to restrict the old warriors of CSK could be a little too much.
However, just as the Capitals attack isn't the strongest, the CSK bowling too has looked toothless under pressure. Dwayne Bravo, who had missed the last couple of matches with injury, is back in training and is likely to be included in the XI. But Bravo's role, more often than not, is at the back-end of the innings and it will be on David Warner to make the most of the inexperienced CSK pace attack upfront. CSK, though, is likely to gamble with mystery spinner Mahesh Theeksana against Warner, who ran away with the last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
But it could finally boil down to one man -- Rishabh Pant -- and how he navigates the middle-overs. MS Dhoni knows all about Pant and he will use all that experience and guile to stop his protégé from putting the final nail in the CSK coffin.
