IPL DC vs RR Match Preview: Playing XI updates; pitch conditions and where to watch

Change in leadership might turns RR's fortunes

Ajinkya Rahane took the call for change in captaincy with a smiling face and the results were there to show. Logical wisdom suggests the road to playoffs is tough for the Royals who have been back after a 2-year penalty for disciplinary issues.

Sitting at number 7 on the points table, Rajasthan, put on a fantastic show to beat the best batting unit of this IPL - Mumbai at their own game. The 5-wicket triumph on Saturday was a testimony to the potential that they have and Steve Smith would be focussed on spearheading the troops to a playoff birth. Teams have shown you can come back from doldrums but momentum is a key indicator here.

Rajasthan are set to miss the services of devastating opening batsman Jos Buttler as the England batsman has left early due to the birth of his first child. It would be a bold decision to drop out of sorts of Ajinkya Rahane if the Royals dressing decides to hand Rahul Tripathi a game. Tripathi was impressive during his 45-ball fifty against Kings XI Punjab, while Rahane was too slow in his 21-ball 26 as Rajasthan failed to chase down 182.

The pace of Rahane has sometimes made the task difficult for other batsmen to follow. Powerplays demand a different set of skills and Rahane hasn't quite been able to cash in on the filed restrictions. The Capitals were suffering from a strange home jinx but broke that in style on Saturday with a 5 wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab

Delhi has won the last 5 of their 6 matches and seem to be in the red hot form under Shreyas Iyer. Sandeep Lamichhane's temperament was praised by cricketing experts in the last game. Kagiso Rabada is spearheading the attack but Amit Mishra is finding it difficult on spin-friendly tracks.

Rishabh Pant's recent form has a been a cause for concern having done exceedingly well in the first few games. He is one of the mainstays of the line-up and the Ricky Ponting would be hoping for him to blast a cracking knock. The WC snub could act as a catalyst and if the Delhi lad gets going, few bowlers can withstand that onslaught. Opening with him wouldn't be a bad option. Jofra Archer has been a consistent performer but needs better support from the bowling group.

The MVPs

1. Shreyas Gopal has had the second best economy rate for a leg spinner in IPL 2019 after Imran Tahir. His googlies have even outfoxed seasoned folks like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in classical fashion. Given the kind of risks Prithvi Shaw takes against wrist spinner it could we worth trying him in the powerplay.

2. 17-year-old Riyan Parag went berserk with his 43 off 29 balls and even outscored Steven Smith. He looks a guy to bank on

Pitch and Conditions

The Sawai Man Singh track had aided seem for 4 seasons from 2012 to 2016 when pacers could really trouble the best in the business. It has recently become a double paced wicket and anything in the range of 170 could turn out to be highly competitive. The temperature will hover in the mid-30s for the whole day and during the match, it will just come a bit down to 30-31 degrees Celsius.

Interesting Stats and Trivia

1. Amit Mishra has picked up 27 wickets in the IPL against the Rajasthan Royals which are ten wickets more than any other player against RR.

2. Shikhar Dhawan has the most 30-plus scores (6) in IPL 2019.

3. Steven Smith has a batting average of 60.50 in the IPL at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. In the six innings at this venue, Smith has scored 242 runs with the help of two unbeaten 50s.

Star Speak: "I haven't contributed as much as I would've liked through the tournament and it feels really nice to have gotten the boys over the line" - Steven Smith after taking RR home against MI.

Broadcast Details

TV – Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Select HD

Live Streaming – Hotstar

Match Timing – 20:00 IST

Probable Playing XI

Rajasthan Royals: Aston Turner, Parag Barman, Sanju Samson, Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith, Jofra Archer, Stuart Binny, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Ben Stokes, Dhawal Kulkarni.

Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Colin Ingram, Sherfane Rutherford, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ishant Sharma