The last time Virat Kohli played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in January, it was a disappointing moment for him as he got out early while playing for Delhi in a Ranji Trophy match. This Sunday, Kohli will return to the same stadium, but this time he will be playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against Delhi Capitals (DC). Fans are expected to support him strongly.
However, Kohli’s biggest challenge will come from KL Rahul, who has been in amazing form. Rahul has scored 323 runs in seven matches with an average of 64.40, and he recently played a brilliant knock of 93* to help his team beat RCB at their home ground in Bengaluru.
Although Kohli didn’t attend practice on Saturday, fans are hoping he will deliver a great performance at home, just like Rahul did earlier.
RCB’s spin coach, Malolan Rangarajan, spoke about Rahul’s celebrations after the win in Bengaluru, saying, “He’s entitled to that. He played a great knock. Good on him. We haven’t discussed it.”
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DC, who have won six out of their last eight matches, will be aiming for another strong performance at home. Their first two matches at the Ferozeshah Kotla this season were a loss and a Super Over win, showing that the pitch there can be tricky.
DC’s opener, Jake Fraser-McGurk, spoke about the conditions at Kotla, saying, “Last year, the pitch was flat and didn’t have much bounce. This year, it’s more inconsistent and harder to get used to, so batters may take longer to settle.”
Fraser-McGurk himself has had a quiet season, scoring just 55 runs in six matches. It’s unclear if he will keep his spot in the playing XI, especially with Faf du Plessis, who has been recovering from an injury, possibly returning to the team. Fraser-McGurk added, “I think Faf is available for tomorrow, as far as I know.”
The Kotla pitch, which has had some exciting matches, is expected to offer support to the bowlers. RCB’s spinners will play a key role, as the pitch has variable bounce. Rangarajan praised DC’s leg-spinner Suyash Sharma and RCB’s Krunal Pandya for their skills. “Suyash has the ability to beat the bat and bowl fast, and his action makes it tough for batters,” said Rangarajan. He also mentioned that Krunal is constantly improving his bowling, even at 34.
RCB’s top-order batsman, Devdutt Padikkal, will also be important in supporting Kohli and Phil Salt. Rangarajan praised Padikkal for his hard work and openness to technical advice, saying it has made a big difference.
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Another interesting matchup will be between two of Australia’s top fast bowlers, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, especially in the death overs. The pitch could help with reverse swing, which is something both bowlers are known for.
Fraser-McGurk agreed with Starc’s earlier comments, saying that dry pitches, not saliva, are the main reason for reverse swing.
With DC and RCB sitting second and third on the points table, a win for either team will be crucial for their playoff chances and their dream of winning their first IPL title.
