IPL 2020: Match 34: Delhi Capitals Vs Chennai Super Kings: Match Prediction

The caravan of the Dream11 Indian Premier League rolls on and the 34th game will see Delhi Capitals [DC] lock horns against a rejuvenated Chennai Super Kings [CSK] at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Chennai Super Kings picked up the third victory of their 2020 IPL campaign in the last game against SunRisers Hyderabad, and it would have been the most satisfying one for the MS Dhoni-led outfit, considering the fact that it was an all-round performance, where different players chipped-in at different stages of the game to sway the momentum of the game in their favor.

For starters, CSK broke the trend and batted first for the first time in the IPL this season. And, they made a refreshing change to their combination by promoting Sam Curran to the top of the order. CSK has grappled with slow starts during the powerplay this season and the objective behind sending the English all-rounder to open the innings was to give them a headstart in the first six overs. Curran teed off against Khaleel Ahmed and with his 21- ball 31, he ensured that the prime objective behind promoting him as an opener. But can he do that against the pace of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada?

That said, the inability of Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu to up the tempo during the middle-overs is still a cause of worry for the Super Kings, and given the fact that spinners have got aid in Sharjah in the past few games, the way they bat against the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel will be crucial.

Can Delhi Capitals make it two in a row against CSK?

Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, have been grappled with injuries in the past few games, which have forced them to change their batting combination. Shikhar Dhawan’s form has been a welcome sign for them but with Rishabh Pant unavailable and Shreyas Iyer down with a shoulder injury in the last game, the pressure on the opening pair of Prithvi Shaw and Dhawan and Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey in the middle-order to spearhead the batting will be humungous, if Iyer too missed out from Saturday’s fixture.

In the last two games, Delhi Capitals have struggled to finish their innings on a high, resulting in them posting underwhelming totals. But as we saw in the last game, their bowling attack consisting of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin, and the newcomer Tushar Deshpande, is capable of defending a sub-par total as well. But Ponting and co will still want their batters to make life easier for their bowling group by posting an above-par total.

Also Read- IPL 2020 Match 34: Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings: CSK Predicted XI

IPL 2020: Match 34: Delhi Capitals Vs Chennai Super Kings: Match Prediction

The last time CSK and DC locked horns, Delhi Capitals defeated the MS Dhoni-led outfit by 34 runs thanks to a brilliant bowling effort by the duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje and lack of intent by the CSK batsmen. CSK’s batting is still a worry and if DC bats first and post anything above 160, the MS Dhoni-led outfit could once again find itself in hot waters. Backing DC to make it two in a row against CSK.