IPL 2021: Match 33 – DC vs SRH– Preview, Playing XI, Pitch Report & Updates

Two teams who had contrasting results in the India leg go head-to-head in match number 33 of the Indian Premier League (IPL). While Delhi Capitals (DC) won 6 of their eight games, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) could only manage one win from their seven completed games. While form and momentum are with DC, they will know a thing or two about not underestimating their opponents.

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First up, DC have made a bold call of sticking with Rishabh Pant as the captain for the remainder of the season, even when Shreyas Iyer has returned to the team. Secondly, they have their South African speedster Anrich Nortje back for the UAE leg. During the 2020 IPL, Nortje was lethal with the bowl and picked 22 wickets. Apart from that, DC openers Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw too have been in good form.

So by the looks of it, DC are looking threatening. They have the spin area covered too with the likes of Axar Patel and Ravi Ashwin in the team. Also, they had a good result the last time they played in the UAE conditions. 

Speaking about SRH, they sacked David Warner and announced Kane Williamson as the captain midway through the tournament. Worst, the Australian opener was also dropped from the following game. It remains to be seen if Warner plays, or will SRH stick with Rashid Khan, Williamson, Mohammad Nabi, and Jason Holder as the four overseas players.

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The squad was also dealt with a huge blow when Jonny Bairstow decided to skip the second leg. Also SRH’s week middle-order is a cause of concern. But with seven games to go, SRH can hope for a turnaround. The head-to-head record currently stands in favour of SRH at 11 - 8.

Pitch Report

The match is going to be played at Dubai. While DC likes chasing, SRH love to bat first. The pitch in Dubai too suits SRH’s style of play more as spinners come to play during the latter stages. So batting first seems a sensible option.

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Playing XI

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Steven Smith, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan.

Sunrises Hyderabad (SRH)

David Warner, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Kedhar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Sherfane Rutherford, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan.

Key Players 

Shikhar Dhawan 

The Indian opener didn’t find a place in the 15-member squad selected for the T20 World Cup. Dhawan does not show much of his emotions. But trust the southpaw to let the bat do the talking. He was in ominous form during the India leg of IPL and scored 380 runs in just eight games.  

Rashid Khan

Afghanistan and SRH’s star leg-spinner will once again be the key for SRH. Rashid has so far picked up 10 wickets and his four overs are the most crucial for SRH. His fast googly is difficult to pick for the batters and the UAE conditions are just ideal for him.