Cricket Indian Premier League Prediction

Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals - Match Preview

🏏 2 May 2023 - 18:00 GMT +0

It will be top versus bottom in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when match #44 sees Gujarat Titans (W6, D2) take on Delhi Capitals (W2, L6) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. When these sides met earlier in the season in Delhi, Gujarat chased 163 with six wickets in hand and 11 balls remaining. Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan took three wickets each, while Sai Sudharsan scored an unbeaten 62 to lead the Titans’ chase.

It is not by accident that the Titans are top of the pile. Not only are they on a three-match winning streak, but Gujarat has also been able to find ways to wriggle out of tough situations. Be it defending 135 in Lucknow or 207 batting first before trouncing Mumbai by 55 runs, the Titans have been acing every match in every department. With contributions all across the board – six batters aggregating 150+ season runs and three of those scoring at 8.54rpo and above, Gujarat has been seamless with its batting displays.

In odd instances where their batters failed, the bowlers have stepped up. That is evident in their record of 7.50 wickets per innings. Yet, they aren’t without any need for improvements and the most glaring one is in the Sixes department, where Gujarat’s tally of 9.63 sixes per match in this competition is the most conceded by any team.

Delhi might not be well placed to take advantage of that, considering their tally of 3.13 sixes scored per match is the lowest of all franchises. That isn’t the only problem plaguing the Capitals who have won just twice all season long, although both came in their last three matches. With only captain David Warner (306 runs, Avg. 38.25) managing to aggregate any performances of note, Delhi has been crying for a leader to get them out of the rut. Ironically, Warner’s strike rate of 7.12rpo might well be part of the problem.

The Capitals have struggled with the ball, too, with no bowler taking more than seven wickets in the season yet. One of those is Mitchell Marsh, who has taken four wickets in his last innings, in a way bloating his seasonal numbers.

⚡ Players to watch: The most often asked question put to Warner during post-match presentations is “Why is Axar Patel batting so low?” The left-hander has grown by leaps and bounds in this season across formats and looks confident every time he comes to the crease. The left-hander scored at least 19 in his last five matches while aggregating five wickets during that sequence. In the reverse fixture, he scored a brisk 36 off 22 balls.

That match saw David Miller remain unbeaten on 31 off just 16 balls to hasten their push to the winning line. He loves facing the Capitals and has scored at 8.40rpo or more in three of his last six innings against them when facing at least 16 balls.

📋 Stat attack: The four first innings scores at this venue in IPL 2023 were between 177 and 207 runs.

• Delhi and Gujarat have scored the most sixes in a match in just two games each respectively this season.
• Gujarat have posted the highest opening partnership in five of their last six matches.
• Delhi Capitals have hit a league-low four sixes during the powerplays, all coming in their last two matches.
• Gujarat averaged 3.63 sixes per game during the overs 17-20, which is the most by any team.
• After Sunday’s matches, Mohammed Shami has taken the most powerplay wickets in this IPL (eight).
• David Warner has been dismissed just twice in the powerplays in this IPL.
• Shami vs Warner in the IPL: 2/107 off 76 balls from ten innings (8.44rpo).
• The pre-match favourite (after the toss) has won just one game involving Lucknow this year.