IPL 2024: DC vs KKR Match 16 - Top 3 player battles to watch out for

Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are all set to lock horns in Match 16 of the Indian Premier League 2024. Both teams are coming on the back of impressive wins, so fans can look forward to an exciting encounter at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, April 2. 

Capitals bounced back with a 20-run win over five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after losing two in a row. They seem to have sorted out their batting woes. The arrival of Prithvi Shaw yielded the desired result as he stitched a 91-run opening partnership with David Warner in the last match.

With captain Rishabh Pant also notching up his maiden fifty since his return from injury, DC got a solid start from their top-order. Khaleel Ahmed's show-off with the new ball and Mukesh Kumar's impressive death over bowling was another big positive for the Delhi franchise in their last game. 

Meanwhile, KKR will be one of the two unbeaten teams going into their third match of the tournament. They opened the campaign with a thrilling four-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and dominated with a thumping seven-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). 

Philip Salt and Sunil Narine's aggressive start has been the key for KKR. Venkatesh Iyer's half-century against RCB is also a big plus for the two-time champions. While Andre Russell and Harshit Rana have shone in the bowling department, a major concern for KKR is their most valuable player - Mitchell Starc. The Aussie pacer failed in both matches and will have to find some way in the upcoming match to retain his place in the XI. 

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Here are the top 3 player battles to watch out for in IPL 2024: DC vs KKR, Match 16:

3. David Warner vs Sunil Narine 

David Warner and Sunil Narine are the marquee stars of their respective franchises. One wreaks havoc with the bat while the other does magic with the ball. Warner loves playing against KKR as the southpaw has amassed 1,075 IPL runs at 44.79 - the highest by any batter against the former champions.

The Australian will look to shower his love again and Shreyas Iyer may bring in their elite bowler Narine to stop the damage. Having dismissed Warner twice in the IPL, the off-spinner is KKR's main weapon against the top batters. However, Warner has smashed the Caribbean star for 195 runs at a strike rate of 158.53. 

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2. Shreyas Iyer vs Anrich Nortje 

Shreyas Iyer's struggle against high-pace and short-pitch deliveries is no secret. The KKR skipper started his campaign with a duck but remained unbeaten on 39 in their recent win against RCB. On the other hand, Anrich Nortje has had an underwhelming start to his 2024 season, conceding an economy rate of over 10 in both matches.

Rishabh Pant wants Nortje to regain his form and will use the Proteas pacer as a threat to his counterpart. Nortje will target Iyer with sheer pace and bouncers, but the right-hander can take advantage of his inconsistency and out-of-form. 

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