Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Rishabh Pant returns after a one-match suspension, against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), in a must-win Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match for a playoffs spot here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
DC’s Net Run Rate (NRR) was hit hard (-0.482) after a 47-run loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
It would thus need a big win (and favourable outcomes in other games) against a side which is also trying to get back on its feet – LSG also has a poor NRR (-0.769) despite having 12 points in six games – following a forgetful outing in Hyderabad last week.
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With plenty riding on NRR, the surface here may help, with it being the quickest scoring ground of this season – a run rate of 11.52 in four matches in the capital city.
With opener Jake Fraser-McGurk providing quickfire starts in the PowerPlay, Pant and Tristan Stubbs handling things further in the middle overs, DC will fancy its chances at home.
Valuable contributions from Abhishek Porel and Axar Patel will bolster the home team’s confidence with the bat despite a dip in Bengaluru the other day.
However, the Pant-led side will be weary of its bowling that has leaked runs aplenty – an economy rate of 10.15, the worst among all teams this season.
And that might preset Lucknow batters an opportunity to do something they haven’t been able to do this tournament consistently – take on the opposition at will.
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K. L. Rahul has been the leading run scorer for the team with 460 runs in 12 innings. But with a strike rate of 136.09, the captain hasn’t been able to provide a solid platform in the beginning.
Despite a drubbing against Sunrisers Hyderabad, LSG bowlers have done decently well – economy of 9.57 – this season, led by names like Yash Thakur, Mohsin Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq.
However, the context of this game calls for the batters to step on the accelerator and go big.
