Who will win the battle of two heavyweights?
We are at the business end of the Indian
Premier League and there are two teams at the top of the table with 18 points —
Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals — but they are still not certain to be in the top two with Royal Challengers Bangalore having won the game against Punjab Kings and catching up on them both with 16 points with two games to play.
The biggest advantage on being in the top two is that the team which wins the qualifier makes it straight to the finals and the loser gets another chance which is an incentive and can still make it to the finals if it wins the eliminator.
Delhi and Chennai lock horns today at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium and both teams would like to win the crucial two points to be certain of being in the top two.
Solid team
Delhi got the better of Chennai in the India leg but Chennai has looked a more solid team in the UAE in spite of their last loss to Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi. They will get in the best squad to face Delhi whose bowling is strong. Chennai openers have given them a solid start in every game and Ruturaj Gaikwad — who made his debut hundred — looks a classy player. They also have Moeen Ali and Jadeja at the back end of the game and they can be a danger.
Delhi has been very good with the ball with Avesh Khan being their leading wicket taker and he has been backed up well by their spinners Axar Patel and Ashwin. Their batting main stay has been Iyer who has shown great temperament as a player and has looked very good after his return from injury. The other batsman have still to get their act together and head coach Ricky Ponting must be hoping his teams batting clicks as a unit with the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Steven Smith, Dhawan to fire along with Hetmyer. Both Rishabh Pant and Dhoni have yet to fire and will be hoping that they come good which will give confidence to both the camps. Pant is a stand-in captain and has a point to prove to his childhood hero Dhoni who is also the mentor of team India.
There is a lot at stake in this crucial game.