Delhi Capitals v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL Tips : Delhi in for another disaster

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Friday 8 May,15:00
TV: Sky Sports

Delhi Capitals v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL team news

Delhi Capitals are playing knockout cricket. Four wins in their last four group games give them a chance of making the play-offs. But their form is dire and defeat by Chennai last time out almost certainly damns them.

The DC top order had a shocker against RCB on a decent track at home and it could have been written off as a freak. Being reduced to 69 for five against CSK was deeply troubling, though. Sameer Rizvi suddenly being used as an impact player is a puzzler and he should be batting at least at No 4 ahead of Karun Nair.

With Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi paired as a pace attack the balance remains pretty good and they really should still be in the hunt at this stage.

Possible XI: Rahul, Nissanka, Rana, Rizvi (sub Vipraj), Stubbs, Ashutosh, Axar, Starc, Kuldeep, Ngidi, Natarajan

Kolkata Knight Riders will need to win their last five for a play-off. But they have momentum and have banished memories of their horror start. They have won three on the spin. Two of those came against Royals and Sunrisers which suggests they now know what they're doing.

KKR are still not wholly sure of their best XI, though. Hence the inclusion of Manish Pandey and Tim Seifert being in and then out again. It may be time to stick with an XI to give them extra confidence.

There is a doubt about the fitness of Varun Chakravarthy. He took a nasty blow on the foot against Sunrisers and left the field after his quota.

Possible XI: Rahane, Allen (sub Arora), Raghuvanshi, Rinku, Green, Powell, Pandey, Narine, Roy, Tyagi, Varun

Delhi Capitals v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL pitch report

The Arun Jaitley Stadium surface remains hard to call. Mumbai Indians were restricted to 162 and then there were two runfests from the visits of Punjab and Gujarat. Then extreme, extreme unders landed when Delhi were razed for 75 against RCB. Delhi's 155 suggested it was a bowler's surface against CSK.

The run rate in the last three years in night IPL games is a shade under ten but both teams to score 200 has won only three times in 16. Sportsbook have decided it's one for the bowlers and under 189.5 is available at 5/61.84, a whopping cut from the high 190s. That has won 10 out of 16.

Delhi Capitals v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL match prediction

Sportsbook rate this as a choice affair at 9/101.90 the pair. KKR are marginal favourites on the Exchange at 2.021/1. We have to take issue with the Delhi price at odds-on and, if forced to play, would be betting KKR.

These sides are at different ends of the momentum spectrum. Delhi are stuck in a rut and cannot get out of first gear. Kolkata are flying. Confidence in both camps are also at different ends of the scale.

It is a curious demise for Delhi. They may look back at defeat by Gujarat and remember a game which completely destroyed them. That was when David Miller thought it easier to score two off one ball instead of one off one.

For a time it looked as though they were a side desperate for an attritional battle on a tired, tricky batting surface. But losing to Chennai on exactly that has further undermined their fragile ego. If Varun is declared fit the KKR odds won't shift. Then is the time to play.

Delhi Capitals v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL player tips

With the Delhi pitch at time tricky for batters this could be a game to pick middle- to lower-order batters to top score. Rovman Powell at 17/29.50 stands out for the visitors. Powell has a win in him at least once. His hitting ability makes it easy for him to catch up. It is something of a surprise he's not had a greater impact. For the hosts, Axar Patel catches the eye at 10s. Axar is one who could bat anywhere in the top seven.

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