Strongest Delhi Capitals (DC) Playing XI Against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Delhi Capitals will be up against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 25th match of the ongoing 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Both the teams experienced contrasting fortunes in their previous game as KKR registered a stunning victory against Punjab Kings by five wickets. DC, on the other hand, ended up on the wrong side as they lost to RCB by one run while playing at the same venue. 

However,  the Capitals won’t be much disappointed with their loss against RCB and will be looking forward to returning back to the winning ways. DC is in a comfortable position on the points table as they are placed at third spot with four wins from six games. 

Here’s the Predicted Playing XI of Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2021 Match 25:

Openers (Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw)

Delhi Capitals’ opening pair comprising Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw is a perfect combination of experience and young talent. The duo is in fine form in the ongoing 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and that is one of the major reasons behind teams’ success in the tournament.

Dhawan has established himself as the highest run-getter in the tournament thus far and he is a proud owner of the Orange Cap. In six innings, the left-hander has a stunning 265 runs under his belt at an average of 44.70. Shaw, on the other hand, has amassed 187 runs in six games at an average of 31.17.

Both the batters experienced a torrid run in DC’s last outing against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as Dhawan marched back to the pavilion after scoring just six runs while Shaw could add 21 runs to the scoreboard. However, the opening batters are expected to bounce back stronger and put up a stunning show in the game against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Middle Order (Steve Smith, Rishabh Pant (C and WK), Shimron Hetmyer)

Though the Capitals succumbed to a heart-breaking loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by one run, they also had something positive to take from the game. One of the highlights of the match for DC was the terrific form of power-hitter Shimron Hetmyer. Hetmyer is widely recognized for his hard-hitting abilities but from the past few games, the spark in the youngster’s batting was missing.

The 24-year-old finally regained his form against RCB as he slammed a stunning 58 runs in just 25 balls at a strike rate of 212. DC will thus hope that the West indies batter continues his assault on the bowlers in the next game too. Apart from him, Steve Smith and Rishabh Pant will form a part of DC’s middle-order.

Though Smith failed to perform against RCB as he lost his wicket while playing at four, DC isn’t expected to replace the former Australian captain as he provides much-needed stability to the team.

All-Rounders (Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel)

The comeback of Axar Patel in Delhi’s squad has made both the bowling and batting more intimidating. Axar is in fine form with the ball and has managed to rattle the opposition batters in the two matches he has played in IPL 2021 thus far. The 27-year-old is also capable of applying finishing touches to the batting innings by smashing the opposition bowlers for boundaries and maximums. 

The form of Australia’s all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been a major concern for DC in IPL 2021. Stoinis was a revelation for the Capitals in IPL 2020 as he delivered all-round performance both with the bat and ball. However, the 31-year-old has failed to make the same impact this year.  

Bowlers (Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma )

Delhi Capitals are unlikely to make any changes to their bowling attack from the game against RCB. All the bowlers perfectly essayed the role allotted to them against the Challengers and were successful in keeping the opposition batters in control. The young Avesh Khan has emerged as one of the most destructive bowlers in the DC camp.

Thus far, the seamer has been successful in terrifying the batters irrespective of the opposition he is playing against. Avesh boasts of scalping wickets of legends like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. To make the pace line-up look more lethal, Delhi has Ishant Sharma and Kagiso Rabada on their side. 

Ishant played his first match in IPL 2021 against RCB and was successful in delivering a decent performance. As far as the spin attack is concerned, Amit Mishra will be the frontline spinner in the team. Mishra will be accompanied by Axar Patel. Both Mishra and Axar have done a good job.