Image Credit- BCCI
In the first three IPL 2024 matches, Delhi has proven to be both a batter’s paradise and a bowler’s nightmare, with an average first-inning total of 249 and an overall run rate of 11.38, the highest of any venue this season.
For DC, it has worked out nicely as they have won their last two home games thanks to spectacular play from Jake Fraser-McGurk. In Delhi, DC’s openers have a 292 strike rate and an average of 57.33.
Tristan Stubbs, Rishabh Pant, and even Axar Patel have been able to sustain the momentum because of their strong starts. Pant is expected to have his finest IPL season, Stubbs is hitting 186 against both pace and spin, while Axar’s left-handedness has shown to be a valuable asset at any position in the order. All of those are encouraging indicators because DC needs to win their final three league games, but because they are playing the Rajasthan Royals, the chances are not in their favour.
In IPL 2024, defeating RR requires a lot of work. The Gujarat Titans did it with a last-ball boundary, and Sunrisers Hyderabad stopped RR from scoring two runs off the penultimate ball in their previous match.
The Royals, who had led for more than five weeks, fell to second place on the points table on Sunday. They have the best bowling unit for the 2024 Indian Premier League. Their pacers have the best economy (8.22) and average (23.57) of any squad. They may also be very effective when they get the new ball, taking three wickets on average in the opening six overs of a match. The form of their top order and the experience of their spinners are further bonuses.
Their undercooked lower-middle order is their weak point, if there is one. Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmyer are making big shots but aren’t completing games. With the exception of one half-century, Dhruv Jurel has similarly suffered, and their average score from Nos. 5 to 8 is just 20.93. This means that DC will rely heavily on Kuldeep Yadav and Axar’s eight overs. However, the spinners will also require assistance from a mediocre pace-bowling unit that has given up 10.35 per over this season.
In Jaipur, RR overcame a 36 for 3 deficit thanks to Riyan Parag’s 84. They finished on 185. After a promising start to the chase, DC faltered as the RR bowlers squeezed the middle order. DC lost by 12 runs as Pant, Abishek Porel, and Axar combined for just 52 runs off 49 balls.