High on confidence with contrasting wins in their respective matches, table toppers Delhi Capitals will take on Rajasthan Royals in match 36 of IPL 2021 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Delhi put an all-round show to outsmart bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad in a one-sided affair on Tuesday while Kartik Tyagi produced a magical last over to stun Punjab Kings, who needed just three runs off the last over.
Delhi Capitals (DC) Predicted 11
Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Anrich Nortje
Rajasthan Royals (CSK) Predicted 11
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Evin Lewis, Sanju Samson, Liam Livingstone, Mahipal Lomror, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, Kartik Tyagi
Given the quality and form of DC players, it was hard to ignore many of their players and feature in numbers in indiatvnews.com's fantasy XI.
Wicket-keeper (Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson)
Rishabh Pant has excelled as the captain of Delhi Capitals and has amassed 248 runs in nine games, including an unbeaten 34 off 21 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the side's win. Samson has been expectedly iffy with his form but it's too hard to ignore him given he is also team's top scorer.
Batsman (Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan, Yashasvi Jaiswal)
Shreyas Iyer and Shikar Dhawan are a must in the line-up given how both scored 40-odd innings in Delhi's one-sided win over SRH. Yashasvi too made a case for himself by scoring a well-crafted 49 before going into a shell a step away from his half-century.
All-rounder (Mahipal Lomror, Axar Patel)
Unheralded Mahipal Lomror is a surprise exclusion in the XI with a surprise 17-ball 43, showing he can hit the ball strong and far; not to forget he is an efficient left-arm orthodox bowler.
Bowler (Kartik Tyagi, Chetan Sakariya, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje)
It's too hard to pick this team without Kartik Tyagi, whose magical last over is etched in the memory of every cricket fan. His heroics of defending mere three runs in the last over against Punjab Kings shows he is the best bet for Samson in the death overs. Chetan Sakariya, a consistent wicket-taker for RR, also sneaks in ahead of his experienced teammates. While the team will be incomplete without South African duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje as their overdose of pace left SRH in bewilderment.
Fantasy XI Rishabh Pant (C), Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mahipal Lomror, Axar Patel, Kartik Tyagi, Chetan Sakariya, Kagiso Rabada (V/C), Anrich Nortje
PITCH REPORT
Alike the Dubai surface, the pitch of the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi is expected to be two-paced with 170 being the highest score. Experts suggest the captain winning the toss would most likely bat first and look to set a target.
WEATHER UPDATES
It's expected to be a warm day in Abu Dhabi with the temperature fluctuating around 30 degrees but the teams are expected to some respite from the heat wave while rain interruption is not a possibility. The dew factor can play a role in the second innings.
LIVE STREAMING
You can see the IPL 2021 DC vs RR Live Streaming Online on Hotstar and JIOTV, and TV Telecast on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3, and Star Sports HD channels.
