Nortje unavailable as Delhi Capitals face tough RCB test

Big picture: Capitals need Warner firing

Delhi Capitals' problems start at the top. They are the second-slowest scorers (run rate of 7.68) in the powerplay and their opening pair averages a shade under 26. They are up against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who are the most economical bowling team in the powerplay, with an economy of 7.29 to go with their 22 wickets.

While David Warner has been a constant at the top, his returns have diminished as the tournament's progressed. In the first four matches, he scored 209 runs and was Capitals' lone man standing. But in the last five games, he has added only 99. Each of Capitals' last three opening stands have been in single digits - 0, 0, 1.

However, Warner has the joint-most runs by any batter in the IPL against RCB - 839 in 21 innings - and is the third-most for him against any IPL team. His record in Delhi is also impressive - 885 IPL runs, which is the second-most by any batter at the venue in the IPL.

On the other hand, RCB are among the fastest scoring teams (run rate of 9.29) in the powerplay and their opening partnership averages 53.62 per dismissal. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis have been setting them a good platform but there is little consistency in the middle order barring Glenn Maxwell. And that perhaps explains the reason behind Kedar Jadhav's emergence as the replacement player.

Despite being a home game, the Capitals do not start as favourites. They have lost three of their four home games this season and are up against an RCB side that hasn't lost to them since IPL 2021. It cannot get tougher than this.

Team news: Mustafizur away, Nortje out

Mustafizur Rahman has played only two matches in IPL 2023 for Capitals but has now left for Bangladesh's three-match ODI series against Ireland in Chemsford that starts next week. Mitchell Marsh missed Capitals' previous encounter due to illness and should be back if he has recovered.

Capitals said in a statement on Saturday afternoon that Anrich Nortje, the leader of their bowling attack, is unavailable "owing to a personal emergency". He flew back to South Africa on Friday night and it is unclear when - and whether - he will return.

Meanwhile, Jadhav, who was brought in as a replacement for the injured David Willey, could be in action for RCB.

The big question

Form guide

Delhi Capitals WLWWL (last five matches, most recent first)

Royal Challengers Bangalore WLWWL

Impact Player strategy

Delhi Capitals

Phil Salt has three single-digit scores - two ducks included - on either side of his half-century. But Capitals are likely to persist with him at the top and continue with Khaleel Ahmed as their Impact Player if they bowl first. In Nortje's absence, Lungi Ngidi could make his first appearance of the season.

Probable XII: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 David Warner (capt), 3 Mitchell Marsh/Rilee Rossouw, 4 Priyam Garg/Yash Dhull, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Aman Khan, 8 Ripal Patel, 9 Lungi Ngidi, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Ishant Sharma, 12 Khaleel Ahmed

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Depending on how much purchase there is on the surface, RCB could decide between Harshal Patel and Vijaykumar Vyshak as Impact Players. And they could use Jadhav to boost their batting if needed.

Probable XII: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Glenn Maxwell, 4 Suyash Prabhudessai, 5 Anuj Rawat//Kedar Jadhav, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Mahipal Lomror, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Karn Sharma, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Josh Hazlewood, 12 Harshal Patel/Vijaykumar Vyshak

Stats and Trivia

• The Maxwell vs Kuldeep battle is interesting. Kuldeep has got the better of Maxwell in each of their four meetings, but Maxwell has scored 59 off the 22 balls with a strike rate of 268. That is the best strike-rate by any batter against Kuldeep in the IPL.

• Axar has dismissed du Plessis three times in T20s, the joint-most by any spinner. Du Plessis has scored 89 off the 81 balls he has faced against Axar.

• In IPL 2023, RCB have won four of their five matches batting first.

• Kohli averages 73 and strikes at 167 against pace this season. Among bowlers who have bowled at least 15 overs to right-handers in IPL 2023, Kuldeep (6.30) and Axar (6.34) have the best economy rate against them

Pitch and conditions

The average score first innings score this season in Delhi has been 165. The average winning score, though, goes up to 197. The pitch has tended to be on the quicker side with both pacers and spinners having something of interest. While fast bowlers have picked up 29 wickets as compared to spinners' 22, the pacers' economy rate has been over nine an over as opposed to the spinners' 6.7.