Powerplay battle could set the tone as in-form Royals take on Covid-hit Capitals

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In IPL 2022, teams batting second have been more successful until now, winning 18 and losing 14 matches. The only team that has defied this trend is Rajasthan Royals. All four of their wins have come while batting first, with Jos Buttler and Shimron Hetmyer helping them post above-par totals. Buttler scored hundreds in two of those wins, and has an overall tally of 375 runs at an average of 75.00 and a strike rate of 156.90.

If Buttler has been the power-anchor, Hetmyer has ensured Royals have finished their innings with a crescendo. Among those who have scored at least 200 runs this season, Hetmyer's strike rate of 179.83 is the third-highest. Together, the two have scored more than 57% of Royals' total runs.

Yuzvendra Chahal has been their enforcer with the ball, taking a wicket every ninth delivery. He has been well-supported by R Ashwin, who might have picked up only two wickets to Chahal's 17 but has kept the lid on the scoring rate. With Obed McCoy impressing in the last game, Royals now have the option of using Trent Boult exclusively as a new-ball bowler.

A handsome win on Friday could enable Royals to replace Gujarat Titans at the top of the points table. Looking to stop them will be Delhi Capitals. Despite being hit by Covid-19, Capitals will be high on confidence after demolishing Punjab Kings in their last game, even if they currently occupy the bottom half of the table with three wins in six games.

In Prithvi Shaw and David Warner, they have arguably the most destructive and in-form opening pair in the tournament. But their batting tapers off after that. Rishabh Pant has played a couple of cameos but Rovman Powell's form is a serious concern. In five innings, Powell has scored only 31 runs, at an average of 6.20 and a strike rate of 100.00.

When it comes to bowling, left has been right for Capitals. Their left-arm seamers (Khaleel Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman) and left-arm spinners (Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav) have held sway over oppositions.

In the news

This match was originally scheduled to be played in Pune, but after six members of Capitals' contingent tested positive for Covid-19, the game was moved to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Likely XIs

Delhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 David Warner, 3 Sarfaraz Khan, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Lalit Yadav, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Khaleel Ahmed.

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Karun Nair, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Trent Boult, 9 Obed McCoy, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal.

Strategy punt

• Sixty-seven in 7.3 overs, 93 in 8.4, 50 in 4.4 and 83 in 6.3. These are the starts Shaw and Warner have given Capitals in their last four outings. But Boult could neutralise that threat. In all T20s, Boult has dismissed Shaw three times in 18 balls while giving away only 19 runs. Against Warner, he has conceded 38 runs in 45 balls for two dismissals. Given Boult has better numbers with the new ball, Royals could give him three overs up front. Ashwin, too, has kept Warner somewhat quiet. The offspinner has dismissed Warner five times in 127 balls while conceding 159 runs.

• How do you stop Buttler? Capitals' best bet could be to make him face Kuldeep as much as possible. Against Kuldeep, Buttler has scored 36 runs off 35 balls with two dismissals. But given the way he batted out Sunil Narine in Royals' last game, he could do the same to Kuldeep.

Stats that matter

• In IPL 2022, Royals have the best economy rate (6.72) in the powerplay.

• The average first-innings total at the Wankhede Stadium this season has been 158, the lowest among all four venues.

• Shardul Thakur has dismissed Devdutt Padikkal three times in four innings while giving away only 17 runs in 19 balls.

• Khaleel's economy rate so far this season is 7.15. It is the first time in five IPL seasons that he has gone for less than eight.