Delhi Capitals will be aiming to sustain their winning momentum against Chennai Super Kings but the clash will be fascinating for the battle between Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni.
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In many ways, the IPL 2021 clash between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals is like a clash of generations. MS Dhoni is the gold standard when it comes to keeping and captaincy. On the other hand, Rishabh Pant has worked very hard to get out of the shadows of Dhoni. In many advertisements, whenever Pant and Dhoni featured, it was all about passing the torch over. In 2018, Pant’s mental strength was shattered by comparisons with Dhoni. Three years later, he is now on the same pedestal with Dhoni.
Ever since the Rajkot horror of 2019 in which he fluffed a stumping against Bangladesh, Pant has been sensational. He has helped India to two series wins in Australia. His exploits during the England series was sensational. In ODIs and T20Is, his aggression is terrifying. Pant truly holds his own now. But, Dhoni is Dhoni for one simple reason. He will always be the greatest keeper and captain for the sheer volume of titles and numbers.
With Pant at the helm, Delhi Capitals would be aiming to sustain their winning momentum against Chennai Super Kings. In IPL 2020, they defeated them in both matches. Chennai Super Kings are a side looking to bounce back. Delhi Capitals are a side who know their game after so many years. The contest is another addition in the Pant vs Dhoni contest.
The Chennai Super Kings outlet are a mixture of the young and old. Gone are the days when they relied totally on being the Dad’s Army. There is variety in the team. Both the bowling and batting look in great shape.
The same is true for Delhi Capitals. Both their South African bowlers, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada, impressed on flat decks in the UAE with their raw pace. They will once again be the X-factor for Delhi Capitals. However, they will miss the first game due to the coronavirus quarantine in Mumbai. R Ashwin is in prime form and with Axar Patel missing a few games, Amit Mishra might slot in.
Delhi Capitals: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith, Rishabh Pant (c and wk), Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni (c and wk), Sam Curran/Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar
Match No.2: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals
Venue: Wankhede stadium, Mumbai
Timing: 7:30 PM IST
The weather in Mumbai is hot and with the sea breeze in the evening, there will be some swing. The dew factor will be high in Mumbai due to the high humidity. However, the coronavirus situation is at its peak in Mumbai and teams will have to be careful.
Despite winning both games in IPL 2020, Delhi Capitals have a woeful record against Chennai Super Kings. They have lost 15 out of 23 encounters, which is second only behind Mumbai Indians.
