IPL 2021: I Am Going With Delhi Capitals To Win: Aakash Chopra On His Qualifier 1 Winner

Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra predicted Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals will win Qualifier 1 against Chennai Super Kings. As a result, IPL 2021 is all set to start with the knockout stage as Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Kolkata Knight Riders are the four teams to qualify for the playoffs.

CSK will take on table-toppers Delhi Capitals in the Qualifier 1 match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The team that ends up losing will have one more shot to reach the final of IPL 2021.

One batter will be dismissed by a bouncer: Aakash Chopra

Delhi Capitals boasts of pace bowlers in the likes of South African pacers Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada, who are well complemented by Indian seamer Avesh Khan. Chopra feels that one of the CSK batsmen will prey on either Nortje or Avesh’s bouncers in the upcoming fixture.

“I am going with Delhi to win. Yes, I am going with them; let’s see,” Chopra said on his Youtube channel.

“One batter will be dismissed by a bouncer. Who that will be, I have got no idea, but it can be anyone. It is possible it might be off Nortje’s delivery, and Avesh also bowls bouncers these days.”

Left-arm spinners will have a better economy rate: Aakash Chopra

India’s senior spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be playing on the opposite ends of the Qualifier 1 round. Both the players have been selected for India’s T20 World Cup squad along with left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who also bolsters the Delhi Capitals bowling unit with his sharp turn on the Dubai pitch.

Chopra predicted that left-arm spinners (Axar and Jadeja) will have a better economy rate than right-arm spin bowlers (Ashwin and Moeen Ali). The former cricketer also thinks that one of the four openers from both teams will register a half-century on Sunday.

“Left-arm spinners will have a better economy rate than right-arm spinners. Both sides have left-arm and right-arm spinners; it will be very interesting. Jadeja and Axar, Moeen and Ravichandran Ashwin,” Chopra said.

“One of the four openers – Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad – will surely score a half-century. It is possible two of them might also do that,” he added.

The loser of the match will face either Kolkata Knight Riders or Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 2 on October 13 in Sharjah.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Gautam Gambhir Picks Robin Uthappa Over Suresh Raina For The Qualifier Match Against DC