(Info4now, October 13, 2021)- A special call in cricket is always a big call, no matter, it works or not. But to gain the favour out of such calculation is always the target of a captain. The call of Tom Curran to bowl the last over against Chennai Super Kings goes against Rishabh Pant. On the other hand, McCullum sends Sunil Narine ahead of Karthik and Morgan in expectation of a cameo and it works. Making a day especially for himself, he played a crucial knock with the bat following a killing spell of bowling. As KKR vs DC in the air, Delhi must deny any nervousness against a psychologically ahead Kolkata Knight Riders. A strong bowling unit with pace and spin, Delhi Capitals need to forget the last game and should concentrate on the Sharjah wicket. Kolkata are in a rhythm and have to stick to their plan only.
Preview of Qualifier 2: KKR vs DC
Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw to start with left-hand-right-hand combination and it’s very necessary against KKR. They have to calculate the spin movement and offer the favorable batsman more strikes. Shreyas Iyer is badly in need of making a comeback. Rishabh Pant and Shimron Hetmyer looked good last night and hopefully they continue the rhythm. If Marcus Stoinis makes the playing XI, it must bring a balance in the middle. But it’ll be a big call again against Tom Curran. It’s fine to continue with Tom Curran at Sharjah.
Both Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel are experienced in the field of Indian Premier League and at Sharjah they must be looking for favorable assistance. Nothing to worry about Rabada’s form. Rather they must concentrate on a plan. Though successful in Sharjah, Avesh Khan must show maturity with the bowling. Anrich Nortje has been most sensational for the Capitals since his joining the camp. He has to take great responsibility at the start.
If examined deeply, the volume of KKR’s top order is far behind that of Delhi Capitals. In execution, they are still okay with it. But in a knockout game, there is no chance to conceive an error. So Subhman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi should be committed to their respective tasks. Nitish Rana and Dinesh Karthik to handle any pressure in the middle. Off-form Morgan to come at No.6. Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine make the lower order very strong.
As we said in the preview of Eliminator, KKR possess a compact bowling line up. Sunil Narine’s performance last night makes it more delicate. Shakib with his orthodox left arm is very tight even in the powerplay. Varun Chakravarty remains mysterious while controlling both the start and the middle. Shivam Mavi should make the playing XI. He needs to be disciplined, but doesn’t force any replacement.
To Conclude
UAE witnessed a good start and an unhealthy finish a number of times. And for Sharjah, it’s more acute. Virat Kohli chose to bat on account of the slowness of the pitch, but Morgan didn’t mind it at all. Even though Morgan continues to win matches batting second at Sharjah, it might not suit Delhi. So, if again, Rishabh Pant decides to bat, unlike Morgan, having the favour of the coin, it will never be a bad decision.
