IPL 2022: DC vs KKR preview, both teams strive to bounce back from recent

The Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face each other for the second time in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season. In the 41st match of IPL 2022, they meet at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on 28 April. Both teams have previously struggled to find their ideal consistency and play on the pitch.

The Capitals are currently in the seventh position on the points table while Kolkata is currently in the eighth position. In the previous match, Delhi managed to beat KKR in their first meeting of the season by 44 runs. Of the seven matches played this season, the team led by captain Rishabh Pant has won three. While the Knight Riders which have played eight matches so far have also recorded three wins.

In the last match, the Capitals suffered a crushing defeat against the Rajasthan Royals. DC stars Rishabh Pant and Rovman Powell scored 44 runs and 36 runs for the Capitals in that game, respectively. Just like for DC, Kolkata also suffered a loss in the last match they played against the Gujarat Titans. The Kolkata-based franchise team lost by 8 runs. In that match, KKR star Andre Russell managed to record 48 runs and took 4 wickets for his team.

Delhi looks to have a slight advantage over the Knight Riders as they proved capable of beating Kolkata in their earlier game of the season at Brabourne Stadium. Back then, DC recorded one of the highest round totals in IPL 2022 before winning the match by 44 runs. On the other hand, Kolkata which is on a losing streak in its last four matches of the season is not looking to give up. They really need to win in the next game.

Delhi Capitals

In the last match, Delhi lost when they were against the Royals. Just like Kolkata, So far Delhi still hasn't had a smooth ride in IPL this season. The poor performance of key players and coupled with several key players missing due to the recent COVID outbreak in the squad have contributed to the ups and downs of their team's form so far. Despite having won the first match between the two sides at the start of the IPL season, Delhi doesn't want to let their guard down one bit.

The Capitals were reinforced by left-handed batsman David Warner and hitter Prithvi Shaw. In the last head-to-head clash against Kolkata, they managed 61 runs and 51 runs respectively. Batsman Lalit Yadav, previously also managed to take 1 wicket for DC in the last head-to-head match against KKR.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Based on the match record, Kolkata lost four matches in a row. One of them, was when they fought the Capitals. Although already struggling to maintain the momentum found after winning the early game. They lost their last game against the Gujarat Titans with the team failing to catch up to 157 to win. KKR has been inconsistent with bat and ball in the first half of the season so far.

The Knight Riders squad is reinforced by hitter Andre Russel who is reliable in his position. In the last head-to-head game against the Capitals, he managed 24 runs and 1 wicket. Kolkata right-handed batsman Shreyas Iyer is also expected to make a significant impact in his next match. In the last match against Delhi, he recorded 54 runs. To qualify for the playoffs, they must fight harder and must be able to win the remaining six matches.