The last Saturday of March has something exciting for the cricket lover across the globe. The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is in its full swing and March 30 will witness two games taking place in the northern part of India. In the afternoon game, Kings XI Punjab will face Mumbai while in the evening clash Delhi Capitals (DC) will host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
Kolkata begin their long away tour
The two-time IPL champion, Kolkata are off to a solid start to this tournament winning two games back to back. The batting unit have made a dream start with the top-order setting it up nicely for Andre Russell to power away in the end. It has worked for them brilliantly in both the matches and they will look to carry it forward. However, the bowling unit is yet to make a mark in this tournament. With small boundaries at the Feroz Shah Kotla, the bowlers will have their task cut out against a long Delhi Capitals batting order.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders start of a lengthy period on the road, comprising four away fixtures. With already four points in the kitty, if Dinesh Karthik & Co managed to bring four points before they return home, it will be half job done for Kolkata in pursuit of the playoffs.
Morris available for selection
On the other hand, Delhi Capitals failed to secure a win on their very first home game. But the three-day gap after the Chennai Super Kings beating will help them understand the revamped Kotla strip. South Africa’s all-rounder Chris Morris availability will be a massive boost for the home side as he can bring Andre Russell like qualities in the Capitals line-up. Besides, the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer need to score runs at a good pace which has hurt in the last two games.
The onus, however, will be on the bowling department to stop the devastating Russell. Moreover, they will also have to be on their toes as the entire Kolkata Knight Riders team have batted well.
Date and Venue: March 30 (Saturday), 08:00 PM IST, at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi.
Predicted XI:
Delhi Daredevils
| Player Name | Role |
| Shikhar Dhawan | Batsman |
| Prithvi Shaw | Batsman |
| Shreyas Iyer | Batsman |
| Rishabh Pant | Batsman/Wicket-keeper |
| Colin Ingram | Batsman |
| Chris Morris | All-rounder |
| Axar Patel | All-rounder |
| Rahul Tewatia | Bowler |
| Amit Mishra | Bowler |
| Kagiso Rababa | Bowler |
| Ishant Sharma | Bowler |
Kolkata Knight Riders
| Player Name | Role |
| Chris Lynn | Batsman |
| Sunil Narine | Bowler |
| Robin Uthappa | Batsman |
| Nitish Rana | Batsman |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder |
| Dinesh Karthik | Wicket-keeper/Batsman |
| Shubman Gill | Batsman |
| Piyush Chawla | All-rounder |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler |
| Lockie Ferguson | Bowler |
| Prasidh Krishna | Bowler |
Head to Head:
| Matches | Delhi Capitals | Kolkata Knight Riders | No Tie |
| 23 | 9 | 13 | 1 |
Statistical Preview:
- Kolkata Knight Riders have won seven of the last nine encounters against Delhi (Daredevils then, Capitals now)
- Sandeep Lamichhane has an economy rate under seven in each of the last four leagues he’s been a part of.
Pitch Condition
Another sluggish pitch where about 170 while batting first could be a good score. The slow bowlers will come in handy and is likely to be the deciding factor in the game.
Weather Forecast
The temperatures in Delhi will be on the higher side making it tough for the players. It will hover around 32 degrees Celsius and will gradually decrease once the game progresses. There are no chances of rain at all in Kotla making it a full forty overs of action. The humidity will be on the mid-30s with significant cloud covers during the game time.
Where to Watch
Like always, Hotstar is going to be the official online streaming partner for the Indian Premier League. All the matches are going to be available, and you can watch all of them free of cost, but with a 5-10 minute delay.
If you are a Reliance Jio subscriber, you can watch all the IPL 2019 matches via the JioTV app on your smartphone without any extra charge.
In case you don’t want to watch the IPL online, then you can stick to the traditional television channels. The league will broadcast on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Sports 3 and Star Sport 3HD.
Match Prediction
Kolkata Knight Riders have got off to a brilliant start in the ongoing IPL winning two games on a trot. On the other hand, Delhi have stumbled against Chennai Super Kings after winning thier opening game against Mumbai. Thus, the momentum will be with the Kolkata side.
Besides, in head to head encounter, the Knight Riders have won 13 matches while the Delhi Capitals previously known as Delhi Daredevil have emerged victorious in nine games. Considering all, Kolkata Knight Riders will have an advantage over the home side when they meet each other on Saturday evening.