🏏IPL 2023: Match 44 - DC vs GT on 02/05/2023 at 7:30 PM IST 🏏

🏏IPL 2023: Match 44 - DC vs GT at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 02/05/2023 at 7:30 PM IST 🏏

Tag & Logo Credit: Sevenstreaks

Opposites clash as table-toppers Titans look to extend Capitals' misery

Saha's form at the top could be a worry for Titans even as Capitals try to fix their middle order

Tough challenge for Delhi Capitals

Is Tuesday night's game a contest between the season's best and worst teams? It's not just the points table suggesting that.

In key metrics, Gujarat Titans reign supreme while Delhi Capitals bring up the bottom. Their chasing records (100% v 20%), middle-order batting averages (37.8 v 16.6) and scoring rate in the last four overs (12.3 v 7.9) suggest the same. David Warner's side have also lost the most wickets to spin, have the lowest run-rate against pacers, and are the only side with no batter having a 140+ strike-rate.

But Capitals have produced better performances over the last fortnight, with only a close defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad robbing them of a hat-trick of wins. Their batting has started to click regularly and their spinners have been a rare positive.

Titans look sturdy as an XI, with a robust middle-order supporting Shubman Gill. In Kolkata, they showed that Rashid Khan is not their lone bowling trump card, and like last season their Indian batters like Abhinav Manohar and Vijay Shankar are consistently delivering.

Their only weaknesses at the moment are Wriddhiman Saha's form and their 1 in 3 record batting first. It will be up to Capitals, who themselves are in a good space for a change, to take advantage of any opening they find. Their best chance will be for more players rallying around Axar Patel and Mitchell Marsh, and a better batting track than Delhi which shall suit their overseas-heavy top order.

Form guide

Gujarat Titans WWWLW (last five games, most recent first)

Delhi Capitals LWWLL

Team news - Mohit injury not serious

Mohit Sharma had jammed his fingers under the ball during the Kolkata Knight Riders game. While it looked serious at first, his return later in the game to take a catch was promising news for the Titans. There are no other injury concerns from either side.

Impact Player strategy

Gujarat Titans

Saha's form is worrying for Titans. At 18.9, his average is the worst among all IPL 2023 batters. If Titans chase, they could replace Saha after the fielding innings for a top-order batter like B Sai Sudharsan when batting second. If they bat first, they may be forced to stay with Saha since they're constrained with replacing a pure batter for an extra bowler in the second innings. It is more likely that they'll stick with the same combo.

Titans XII: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk) / Sai Sudharsan, 3 Abhinav Manohar, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 Vijay Shankar, 6 David Miller, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Josh Little, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Mohammed Shami, 12 Noor Ahmed.

Delhi Capitals

Capitals could make a few changes depending on their assessment of the pitch. They could roll the dice with Prithvi Shaw but would not want to drop Phil Salt from the opener's spot. He and/or Abishek Porel, could also come in place of Priyam Garg or Ripal Patel.

Capitals XII: 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Sarfaraz Khan / Prithvi Shaw, 6 Priyam Garg, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Ripal Patel, 9 Anrich Nortje, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Ishant Sharma, 12 Mukesh Kumar

Stats that matter - Watch out for Warner v Titans pacers

• Capitals' left-arm spinners have kept Hardik unusually quiet. He's scored 14 in 16 against Kuldeep and 18 in 17 against Axar.
• Warner's 107 runs against Shami are among the bowler's worst numbers against a batter. But Shami has dismissed him twice in 10 games. Warner, in particular, enjoys facing Mohit, hitting him for 100 runs in 55 balls. That one-on-one strike-rate of 182 is among the worst for Mohit against any batter.
• At Ahmedabad, the average first innings score has been 192 but the average first-innings winning score is 207.

Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals Pitch Report

The pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium is expected to offer a good batting surface for the game where run-scoring is comparatively easy. The batters can trust the pace and bounce of the pitch while playing their shots. The spinners will come into play in the later stages of the game as the pitch tends to slow down a bit as the game progresses.

Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals Weather Forecast

The temperature in Ahmedabad is expected to range between 26 and 33 degree Celsius.

Pitch and conditions

Expect a batting-friendly track. The ground dimensions could be a factor based on which pitch is used. It should be a dry evening.

Thanks for the tag i will send my predictions during my lunch time 😂

It's David vs Goliath - Round 2 of the 2023 Indian Premier League. Goliath did swat David aside in the first round almost a month ago and will head into this contest as the favourite once again. Gujarat Titans have been on a great run ever since Kolkata Knight Riders shocked them at home. The defending champions have won four out of their last five games and three of those have come away from home. They will return to familiar territory now in search of their fourth straight win to take on bottom-placed Delhi Capitals, a side that just looks destined for the wooden spoon.

DC finally looked like staging a pretty good comeback after losing their first five games. Having won two in a row post that, they were definitely favourites to make it three in three before a batting collapse ensured they suffered a demoralising loss. It's certainly not easy to bounce back from a defeat such as that one especially against a side that has just been continuing to find ways to win from difficult situations since making their bow last year. Titans continue to find new heroes to bail them out and churn out wins whereas even an all-time classic allround performance from Mitchell Marsh couldn't help DC get over the line against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

DC would certainly want more players putting their hands up, beginning with their skipper David Warner. He was bowled for a first-ball duck against his former franchise but had scored runs prior to that, albeit not at a pace he is renowned for scoring at. The conditions in Ahmedabad have been batting friendly and Warner should fancy himself to get going again. But that Indian middle order barring Axar Patel has just not clicked. A promotion for the left-hander might help but David still needs a lot of boxes to be ticked in order to slay Goliath.

Team Watch

Gujarat Titans

Sai Sudarshan scored a fifty when these two teams met last time and was named man of the match. But only two out of Vijay Shankar, Abhinav Manohar and Sudarshan have a spot in the XI at the moment.

Probable XI: Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya (C), Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mohammed Shami, Josh Little

Tactics & Matchups: In this year's IPL, wrist spinners have ruled the roost against DC, picking 16 wickets at an average of just over 14. Titans have the Afghan duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad to cause problems to a batting unit that's already short on confidence.

Delhi Capitals

With Phil Salt scoring a fifty in the last game, it's hard to see DC make any changes to their overseas quartet.

Probable XI: David Warner (C), Phil Salt (WK), Mitchell Marsh, Manish Pandey, Sarfaraz Khan, Lalit Yadav/Ripal Patel, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Ishan Sharma, Mukesh Kumar

Tactics & Matchups: David Warner batting deep could solve a lot of issues for DC in this contest. He does have an excellent record against Shami who has been terrific with the new ball. And against leg spin, Warner has been striking it at 140 since 2020 in the IPL.

Did you know:

- Noor Ahmad has a bowling average of 8.75 and an economy rate of 6.67 in the second half of the innings (overs 11-20) in the IPL this season.

- Axar Patel averages 32.50 at a strike rate of 171 at the death in IPL 2023

BATTERS TO WATCH(recent stats)

Shubman Gill,

GT

10 M • 413 Runs • 45.88 Avg • 138.59 SR

David Miller,

GT

9 M • 280 Runs • 93.33 Avg • 159.09 SR

David Warner,

DC

10 M • 311 Runs • 31.10 Avg • 117.35 SR

Axar Patel,

DC

10 M • 247 Runs • 41.16 Avg • 138.76 SR

BOWLERS TO WATCH(recent stats)

Rashid Khan,

GT

10 M • 15 Wkts • 7.82 Econ • 16 SR

Mohammed Shami,

GT

10 M • 15 Wkts • 8 Econ • 15.60 SR

Kuldeep Yadav,

DC

10 M • 10 Wkts • 7.08 Econ • 20.40 SR

Axar Patel,

DC

10 M • 9 Wkts • 6.78 Econ • 22 SR