Predicted Playing XI of Delhi Capitals for Match 20 of IPL 2023

image-lggiml5pGlenn Maxwell playing against DC in IPL 2022 (Source: Twitter)

Delhi Capitals (DC) will lock horns with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match number 20 of the ongoing IPL 2023 season. The iconic M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will host the high-octane clash between the two powerhouses.

The Capitals have had the worst possible start to this year's IPL, losing four matches on the trot to remain glued at the bottom of the ten-team league's standings.

Nothing seems to be going their way right now. They are struggling big time on the field in all departments, whether it's bowling, batting, or fielding. The Capitals have one batter who is in form and that's their captain David Warner. The left-handed opening batter is scoring runs consistently but his below-par strike rate hasn't done any good for the team. Meanwhile, other batters are struggling with their form. Bowlers are yet to find their rhythm in the tournament.

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Openers

David Warner and Prithvi Shaw

Even though the opening pair hasn't clicked so far this season, still the Capitals team management will back the duo of David Warner and Prithvi Shaw to finally come good this season. They had a relatively better start in the last league game against the Mumbai Indians (MI). Warner has scored runs but his strike rate has been an issue. Warner's batting partner, Prithvi Shaw on the other hand has been struggling to find his mojo. One of the most destructive opening pairs in the history of the league, David Warner and Prithvi Shaw have to deliver in order to help their team win their first game of the season.

Middle-order

Mitchell Marsh

Marsh is back from Australia and has joined the team. While he has not hit the ground running in IPL 2023, Marsh will be looking to live up to his reputation as a match-winner. When on song, Marsh can take the bowlers to cleaners and can utilise the field restrictions well. Against the struggling bowling attack of RCB, Marsh can really come out all guns blazing and play with freedom. DC wants to see the best of Marsh as others have failed badly to really complement David Warner.

Manish Pandey

Due to a lack of quality Indian batting options, Delhi have no choice but to back Manish to come good with the bat in his home ground. The seasoned IPL campaign tends to struggle early in his innings, but once set he can hurt the opposition bowlers. Manish is a great player of spin and will be crucial to tackle the RCB spin duo of Shahbaz Ahmed and Karn Sharma in the middle overs. Manish Pandey is likely to get another chance after scoring a substantial score in the last game against the Mumbai Indians. In the last game, he batted with intent and DC would want a big score from him while batting with the same intent.

Lalit Yadav

Last year, Lalit had a good season with the bat and ball for the Capitals. With the bat, he can bat according to the situation while he also possesses the ability to hit a few lusty blows out of the middle. Whereas with the ball, he can roll his arm over and may end up getting one or two odd wickets to his name, but given the short boundaries in Bengaluru, he is unlikely to bowl against the in-form RCB batting line-up. So far in the season, he has played only one good innings with the bat which came in the game against the Royals, scoring 38 runs off 24 balls. He would look to replicate the same in the upcoming clash as well.

Rovman Powell

The West Indies white-ball skipper couldn't make an impact with the bat in the last two games when his services were required with the bat. With small boundaries in play at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, Powell will fancy his chances of clearing the ropes more often than not. Powell struggles against spin so it will be better for DC to use him wisely as a floater. In the last game, he was sent early and was outfoxed by MI leg-spinner Piyush Chawla. His main role will be to live up to his reputation of scoring quick runs. After missing out on the last two games, Powell will be keen to make this opportunity count.



Axar Patel

The ace all-rounder smashed 5 maximums and 4 fours to bring up his maiden IPL half-century, off just 22 balls in the last game against the Mumbai Indians. In the last game, Axar dominated the MI bowlers from the outset and looked to be playing on a different surface than the other batters. Warner's deputy has been in terrific form with the bat in hand in the last couple of months and that has added to his list of qualities coming to the IPL. Adding the all-round value that Axar brings, he is going to be in focus once again. It will be interesting to see where Axar bats in this game after his heroics with the bat in the last game.


Abishek Porel

The young wicket-keeper batter from West Bengal playing his first season in the IPL, Porel has been brilliant behind the wickets. He has impressed everyone with his glovework but the same cannot be same about his batting. He hasn't many balls to prove his worth with the bat. Porel looks like a technically sound player. DC has invested in him as Rishabh Pant's replacement and he will be looking to make a mark with the bat in the game against RCB.

Bowlers

Kuldeep Yadav

Unlike the last season, Kuldeep hasn't really set the stage on fire. He has found it difficult to operate with the white ball this season. It is quite evident that he is not in a great rhythm. Kuldeep's lack of consistency has been a major cause of the team’s failure to perform at its best. If DC wants to win against RCB, they would need Kuldeep to step up with the ball. If Kuldeep can pick a couple of wickets in the middle overs then DC can push RCB back to take control of the game.

Mukesh Kumar

Mukesh turned the game on its head by bagging two crucial wickets in the slog over to bring his team back in the game and take it to the last over. Before that over he went for plenty of runs and that's been the story for him so far in the IPL 2023. Playing his first season in the toughest T20 league, Mukesh has so far struggled to find his feet in the tournament. Known for his ability to move the ball both ways, Mukesh hasn't played his role of being the new-ball specialist. He will need to get his line and lengths right to pick wickets upfront with the new ball.

Anrich Nortje

Like others, Nortje also conceded a lot of runs but he almost snatched the victory from the jaws of defeat for his team. He bowled a superb final over. The express pace bowler could've saved the game for his team but unfortunately he didn't get support from his fielders. Nortje started the tournament with a bang, picking two wickets against defending champions Gujarat Titans at home. However, he went wicketless in the game against the Royals and was expensive as well. Being the leader of the pace attack, Nortje will have to fulfill the responsibility of being an X-factor in the team. His express pace and the ability to bowl the tough overs make him a valuable asset for the Capitals.

Probable impact players

Aman Hakim Khan, Yash Dhull, Sarfaraz Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Praveen Dubey