IPL 2023, RCB vs DC: Winless Delhi Capitals needs to fire in unison to effect turnaround

Winless in the tournament so far, Delhi Capitals (DC) needs to fire as a unit if it has to effect a turnaround as it gears up to clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in its 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.

The Capitals are enduring a poor start to the season as they have lost all four games to remain pointless in the tournament. Nothing is going right for the David Warner-led side, and the team's think-tank is struggling to stem the rot that has set in. Warner and his deputy Axar Patel have carried the team's batting attack, with all others failing miserably.

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Axar's cameos have been the only silver lining for Delhi this season. Warner is second in the top run-getters list, but his strike rate of 114.83 is a concern. He has been struggling to score runs rapidly, and DC losing wickets in heaps has only made the Australian's task harder.

Prithvi Shaw's technical problems against top-quality pace attacks have come to the fore, which can't be fixed quickly. Manish Pandey, who arrived in place of Sarfaraz Khan, has also failed to contribute. Handed a debut, Yash Dhull lasted just four balls against former record five-time champion Mumbai Indians (MI).

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The team's poor bench strength in terms of Indian talent means the coaching staff now only has Ripal Patel to fall back on. However, DC could bring in Phil Salt instead of Rovman Powel. The hard-hitting English batter is known for his attacking innings at the start and could keep the run rate in check while Warner plays the anchoring role.

Delhi's pacers have been taken to the cleaners, although Anrich Nortje and Mustafizur Rahman did well against MI, albeit in a losing cause. But, more will be expected of them at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, a belter of a track. Spinners Axar and Kuldeep Yadav are also yet to churn out match-winning performances.

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RCB, on the other hand, will look to get back to winning ways. After making a winning start, RCB lost its way, falling to back-to-back defeats. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis have contributed with the bat and will be eyeing another good show come Saturday. Glenn Maxwell being back amongst runs is also a good sign for the hosts.

Mohammed Siraj has been exceptional with the new ball, but death bowling woes continue to plague RCB, as its bowlers have leaked runs at an alarmingly high rate. Death overs specialist Harshal Patel has looked like a tired version of himself, and RCB would hope others step up. Star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has linked up with the squad and is expected to walk right into the playing XI, strengthening the bowling department.

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Squads:
DC: David Warner (c), Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Aman Hakim Khan, Abhishek Porel (wk), Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Rovman Powell, Rilee Rossouw, Anrich Nortje, Mustafizur Rahaman, Chetan Sakariya, Mukesh Kumar, Phil Salt, Lungi Ngidi, Praveen Dubey, Lalit Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vicky Ostwal, Ishant Sharma, Manish Pandey, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Yash Dhull.
RCB: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Mohammad Siraj, Harshal Patel, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Anuj Rawat, Akash Deep, Mahipal Lomror, Finn Allen, Suyash Prabhudesai, Karn Sharma, Siddarth Kaul, David Willey, Wayne Parnell, Himanshu Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Rajan Kumar, Avinash Singh, Sonu Yadav and Michael Bracewell.

Match details
Date and day: April 15, 2023 (Saturday)
Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Time: 3.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and other Star Sports regional language channels - Also available in HD
Where to watch (Online): JioCinema

(With inputs from PTI)