DC vs KKR, IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals banking on home condition familiarity against Kolkata Knight Riders

With the ball moving a lot more in the second innings during the CSK contest, Starc versus David Warner and Prithvi Shaw would make for an interesting contest, if DC bat first.

Delhi Capitals’ captain Rishabh Pant with teammates Prithvi Shaw (right) and Axar Patel during a practice session ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. | Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR/ The Hindu

The 20-run win versus Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is an indicator of where Delhi Capitals (DC) was, is, and can be. The performance in the first two matches was uninspiring, and according to assistant coach Pravin Amre, the team can do better.

“That’s the beauty of the game (sport), you learn every game,” he said on the eve of his team’s clash versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Dr. YSR ACA-VDCA cricket stadium on Wednesday.

That establishes that DC isn’t complacent after outplaying the defending champion. If DC winning the way it did was astonishing, the seam-bowling unit fashioning that victory was more. It was like the Bruce Banner turning into The Incredible Hulk.

What caused the turnaround needn’t be examined forensically. For, it may easily and obviously be attributed to its familiarity with its home ground.

“We were here for two weeks (pre-season), and I think the first couple of weeks, there was dew,” said Amre.

“But we were aware that there won’t be that much (dew) that day (match vs. CSK) in particular because it was windy. And I think that was an important decision to go there and bat first,” he added.

It’s with the same familiarity and the swing that Khaleel Ahmed gets with the new ball that DC will take on KKR. Amre had a special mention for Khaleel Ahmed’s performance.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Andre Russell plays a shot during a practice session ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. | Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR/ The Hindu

On the other hand, it might just be the right venue and match for Mitchell Starc to come good for KKR. It is to be noted that there was more new-ball swing in the second innings of the DC-CSK match.

Starc versus the DC openers David Warner and Prithvi Shaw would make for an interesting contest, as would be the attempted slower and wide fuller deliveries, trying to contain Andre Russell from muscling shots of mayhem.

He’s as vulnerable as he’s ever been to the short ball early in his innings and DC might just try it. Overall, it’s about if the newly confident DC can best the high-flying KKR.