IPL 2020: Match 19, RCB vs DC- DC Predicted Playing XI

Delhi Capitals (DC) got back to winning ways in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), beating the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 18 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Placed second on the points table, Shreyas Iyer and Co have gotten most boxes ticked and are in good shape.

Their next match is against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Monday, October 5 in Dubai. The Challengers, on the other hand, will be going into the game on the back of an eight-wicket win over the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Hence, bearing in mind that both teams have won three out of their first four games, the upcoming match is expected to be a thriller. For DC, it remains to be seen whether or not they make changes to their combination.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for the Delhi Capitals for RCB vs DC game:

Openers (Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw)

Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw should be persisted with as the opening pair. Shaw is in scintillating form with the bat in hand, having scored 137 runs from four matches at an average of 34.25. The two half-centuries he has thus far would give him a world of confidence going ahead.

Dhawan, on the other hand, is yet to fire on all cylinders. The southpaw has 95 runs, but with a top score of 35, he needs to put in the big contributions. He also needs to take care of his strike-rate, which is currently at 125. The Capitals would be hoping for both of them to bring forth their A-game.

Middle-order (Shreyas Iyer (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shimron Hetmyer)

The middle-order has done well thus far. Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten 88 against KKR and it’s expected to keep him in good stead. Overall, the DC captain has 170 runs at a strike-rate of 150.44. Rishabh Pant has also started to get his rhythm back, scoring 134 runs at an average of 44.66.

He has a top score of 38 and it’s only a matter of time before he shows his true class with the bat in hand. Both Iyer and Pant have been fulcrums of the DC batting lineup. Shimron Hetmyer is a brute force with the willow and though he hasn’t had much to do thus far, RCB would be wary of him.

All-rounders (Marcus Stoinis, Harshal Patel)

In the all-rounder’s category, Marcus Stoinis remains to be the key in the Capitals’ lineup. The Australian cricketer has delivered with both bat and ball. In fact, on a few instances, he has also been entrusted to bowl the final over and he hasn’t flattered to deceive, picking up some crucial wickets.

In the game against the Knights, he rattled Rahul Tripathi’s woodwork and virtually sealed the fate of the contest. Harshal Patel played his first game last season and he did his bit. The pacer got a couple of wickets and didn’t give many runs away either. Not to forget his potential with the willow in hand.

Bowlers (Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje)

Ravi Ashwin retuned from his shoulder injury in the previous encounter and he didn’t quite live up to the expectations. He went for 26 runs in the two overs he bowled and couldn’t even make a breakthrough. However, he’s a class act and it’s only a matter of time before he finds momentum.

Amit Mishra also bowled brilliantly and he’s likely to retain his spot in the lineup. Kagiso Rabada is among the leading wicket-takers of the tournament and has been on his mark. He will have his South Africa mate Anrich Nortje, who’s been in decent form of late, for company in the pace department.