Deadline: April 4, 2019 at 8 PM IST
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Probable XI for Delhi: Prithvi Shah, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Colin Ingram, Rishabh Pant (wk), Chris Morris, Hanuma Vihari/Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Lamichhane
Probable XI for Hyderabad: David Warner, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Vijay Shankar, Yusuf Pathan, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Kane Williamson/Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (c), Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul.
Injuries
Kane Williamson had suffered a grade-one tear in his shoulder during the second Test against Bangladesh last month. Of the three matches that Hyderabad have played thus far, Williamson has featured only once. He is yet to recover completely, and keeping the 2019 World Cup in mind, he won’t take any risk. Nabi will continue being a part of the playing XI, especially after taking 4 for 11 in the previous match.
Pitch report
The match against Chennai played here saw the batters struggling to hit sixes at will. Chasing 148, Chennai had to stroll towards the target and achieve it off the third-last ball. In the second match, however, Shaw had a good time smashing boundaries. Delhi scored 185, levelling Kolkata’s score and then emerging winners in the super over.
Fantasy team
We have opted for a fantasy cricket team on the basis of players’ impact, recent performances, and credit points.
Note that you can, now, change your team after the toss. We have opted for a fantasy team on the basis of players’ impact, recent performances, and credit points. Get to know the points system well before you start.
My XI: Jonny Bairstow (wk), David Warner (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Chris Morris, Mohammad Nabi (vc), Vijay Shankar, Rashid Khan, Harshal Patel, Sandeep Lamichhane
Preview
If Delhi bat first, they will have to post a massive target, for Hyderabad have scored 181, 201, and 231 thus far – the second score came in a chase. If Delhi bowl first, they will have to find a way to stop the Warner-Bairstow carnage, for they became the first pair in IPL to stitch three consecutive century stands. Bairstow notched up his maiden IPL hundred, while it was Warner’s fourth.
Bairstow was happy playing a supporting role to Warner in the first two matches. In the next, he decided to take centre stage and reached the three-figure mark before Warner who had scores of 85 and 69 in the previous matches.
Delhi tied a match they should have easily won and lost a match – again – they should have easily won. Against Punjab, they lost 7 wickets for 8 runs in 2.5 overs. Pant followed a six with another hoick, aiming for another six and to finish the match soon. It backfired. Shami uprooted the middle stump and sent back Pant. In came Morris and Ashwin removed him with a direct hit. Wickets kept tumbling, leaving Delhi shocked. Iyer accepted that the loss will come back to haunt them in the last leg of the tournament, when the tussle to reach the playoffs will tighten up.
Barring Bhuvneshwar’s form, Hyderabad do not have any problem. In the absence of Williamson, Nabi performed with distinction. If he fails, there is Shakib Al Hasan eagerly waiting for his chance.
Delhi will have to rethink about playing Vihari at No. 7. He is a top-order batter who rarely fancies using the long handle. If they are to play him, he should feature in top five. However, there is no slot open for him. Axar may get a nod.
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