RR vs DC: Match preview, head-to-head records and pitch report
What's the story
The IPL 2019 has become interesting with fans witnessing several upsets last week. Meanwhile, the match number 40 would see Rajasthan Royals take on Delhi Capitals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Rajasthan would aim for a win here in order to stay in the hunt for a play-offs berth. On the other hand, Delhi will look to seal their seventh win of the season.
Latest news
Rajasthan outplay Mumbai, Delhi outsmart Punjab
Notably, both Rajasthan and Delhi are coming off a victory. Hosts Rajasthan came up with a splendid performance to outplay Mumbai Indians by five wickets, courtesy the recently appointed skipper Steve Smith's brilliant knock of 59*. As for Delhi, they outsmarted Kings XI Punjab by five wickets. Interestingly, Delhi's captain Shreyas Iyer was the architect of the win.
Team news
Smith and Iyer will hog the limelight
Courtesy of their prolific innings in the previous game, the skipper of both the teams would be in focus, come this tie. Apart from them, Rajasthan pacer Shreyas Gopal is a player to watch out for, following his decent form of late. He has 10 wickets this term. As for Delhi, opener Shikhar Dhawan and Sandeep Lamichhane have been their guardian angels.
Head-to-head
Rajasthan ahead of Delhi in rivalry
As far as the head-to-head clashes go, Rajasthan have dominated Delhi over the years. Out of 18 IPL matches, Rajasthan have won 11, while Delhi have pocketed the remaining seven. In India, of 16 ties, Rajasthan have won 10, while Delhi have won six. In Jaipur, five matches have been played between these two sides and Rajasthan have won four.
Pitch report
A good track awaits in Jaipur
The Jaipur track is mostly known to assist batsmen. However, it has been different this year, suiting both batsmen and bowlers. With slightly in favor of the batsmen, chances are that the teams would go with a balanced side. Anything between 160 is likely to be a competitive total. Out of five matches this year, four have been won by the team batting second.
Predicted XI
Here's the predicted Playing XI
RR: Sanju Samson, Ajinkya Rahane, Steven Smith (captain), Ben Stokes, Ashton Turner, Stuart Binny, Riyan Parag, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni. DC: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rishabh Pant, Colin Ingram, Sherfane Rutherford, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ishant Sharma.
Match details
When, where and how to watch
Match: Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Delhi Capitals (DC). Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. Time: 8 PM (IST). Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1, 2, Select 1 and other regional channels of Star Sports. Where to watch (Online): Hotstar.