Delhi Capitals broke the hoodoo, they won their first knockout/playoffs games after four attempts, and will now take on Chennai Super Kings, a side which was easily brushed away by Mumbai Indians in their own qualifier. While Delhi look the more balanced and settled unit, CSK have the experience of being in these situations and winning them.
They also for MS Dhoni, who conceded that his team were not good in the first game and hence, Delhi Capitals, need to be consistent when they take guard in Vizag.
Predicted XI of both sides:
Chennai Super Kings Predicted XI: Murali Vijay, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir
Delhi Capitals Predicted XI: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Colin Munro, Rishabh Pant(w), Sherfane Rutherford, Axar Patel, Keemo Paul, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Trent Boult
Fantasy tips and suggestions:
Wicket-keeper: Rishabh Pant has been in blistering form for the Delhi Capitals and gets the nod ahead of MS Dhoni, who generally bats in the final few overs. Pant, who walks out at number 4, has more deliveries to make an impact and hence, should be in the side.
Batsmen: Murali Vijay looked the best batsman from CSK in the last match against Mumbai Indians and could be pushed up the order to open the innings against Delhi. Also, for Suresh Raina, this is the game where he can stamp his authority all over the proceedings.
For Delhi Capitals, the ever-consistent Shikhar Dhawan should be in the side, but he has to be wary of the threat of Harbhajan Singh early on in the powerplay overs. Also, skipper Shreyas Iyer has to drop anchor and shepherd the innings and allow the stroke-makers around him to be more expressive.
All-rounders: Axar Patel has quietly gone about his business this season and has been able to control the proceedings in the middle phase. Also, he has been mighty impressive against the right-handers which could work out well for the Delhi Capitals.
For CSK, Dwayne Bravo has to do a better job not only with the ball but also with the bat. He generally bowls in the final few overs and should look for wickets. Also, CSK should be flexible enough to use him as a floater in the batting order.
Spinners: On a pitch which can offer assistance to spinners, Amit Mishra and Imran Tahir for the two teams will be the game-breakers as they have the guile and repertoire to not only control the flow of runs but also pick up wickets.
Seamers: Deepak Chahar and Ishant Sharma - two bowlers who are used more with the new ball will have to utilise the hard new ball well and pick up wickets with it in the powerplay overs to get things rolling for their respective sides.
