The match number 38 is going to be played between the table toppers (DC) and the resurgent (KXIP).
If we look at their IPL history, neither team has won the IPL tournament yet but these are the team's which have received the wooden spoon the most. Delhi - 4 times, Punjab- 3 times.
Head to Head
KXIP have won 14 matches out of the 24 matches played between the two teams.
Although the head to head slightly favours KXIP on paper, DC has proved to be the strongest team in this year's competition.
In this year's first leg game, DC defeated KXIP in the super over.
If we look at their last 5 encounters, KXIP have won 3 out of the 5 matches.
Squads
Top players in DC and KXIP
DC:
S Iyer: He was the second-highest scorer in the previous match against KXIP scoring 39 runs off 32 balls. He has come out guns blazing after his innings of 88* in Sharjah, and has looked confident on the crease ever since. Overall, he has scored 321 runs at an average of 40.12 for his team.
S Dhawan: After the initial few matches, he has outshone most players. He now has a series of 50+ scores in the last 3 innings, which includes his maiden century in IPL. This year he has scored 359 runs at an average of 51.28 and a strike rate of 143.02. Against, KXIP he has scored 627 runs at an average of 29.85 and a strike rate of 128.48 which is less than his career average and strike rate.
A Patel: He has been stupendous with the bowl this year. He stands 4th in the list of most economical bowlers with an economy of 5.59. He has bowled some extremely tight overs for DC this year. To add to this, he has used the long-handle well, while batting at a strike rate of 175 this year.
K Rabada: Although he was a tad too expensive in the previous match against CSK, he picked up the wicket of their best player - Faf du Plessis. He leads the list of wicket-takers this year with 19 scalps to his name. His statistic of having picked up a wicket in every single match this year speaks volumes for him.
KXIP:
C Gayle: With the inclusion of the Universe Boss, KXIP seems to have found the X-factor which their team was missing. He scored a 50 against RCB in his first match and hit a very crucial six against MI in the second super over. Against Delhi, he has scored 450 runs at an average of 40.90 and a strike rate of 154.10.
KL Rahul: This Captain has been outstanding with the bat this year. In fact, he has been outstanding with the bat for 3 years in a row in the IPL now! He was stupendous against MI in the previous match as well. Overall, he has scored a mesmerising set of six 50+ scores in 9 innings that he has batted in, which also includes his 132* against RCB. KXIP has won 3 matches in this series and KL Rahul was the Man of the Match in all three matches. In this match against DC, he would want to improve his average as he has a meagre average of 24.4 versus them.
G Maxwell: G Maxwell has been utilized as a bowler in the last couple of matches. He has done a decent job with his bowling in the power-play. He hasn't done anything notable with the bat this year but if he can get going with the bat he can be a tremendous asset for KXIP.
M Shami: He picked up 2 wickets in his 4 overs against MI and bowled an unbelievable Super Over against them. His Super Over heroics resurrected KIXP and ultimately won them the match! He has been expensive at times but also has produced some destructive bowling spells this season. He has to play a very crucial role in today's match if KXIP wants to win against DC.
Likely Playing 11
DC:
P Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, S Iyer (C), Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (WK), A Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Tushar Deshpande, Kagiso Rabada & A Nortje.
KXIP:
KL Rahul (C)(WK), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, D Hooda, Chris Jordan, M Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami & A Singh.
Delhi Capitals look strong on paper for now. However, the T20 format itself is such, that on the given day any team can end up winning the match.
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