Highest run-scorers for Delhi in Indian T20 League 2020

Delhi, who are one of the three Indian T20 League teams to have never lifted the title, couldn't have asked a better start to their new season. Starting off an extremely close encounter against Punjab in the Indian T20 League 2020 opener, where it took a Super Over to decide a winner, the Shreyas Iyer-led side went on to dismantle three-time Indian T20 League winners, Chennai by 44 runs in the second. The team finally dropped points in their third game as Hyderabad got the better of them by 15 runs. Two back to back victories over Kolkata and Bangalore has put them right on the top of the table.

The team has shown a perfect balance of youth and experience so far in the campaign and formed a brilliant core of Indian players, with Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw acquiring the top order. The hard-hitting prowess of Rishabh Pant and Marcus Stoinis then gives them an edge in the death overs, while in bowling, they are pretty well stacked up too.

Kagiso Rabada, one of the finest bowlers in the shortest format, is their potent weapon, while in Ravichandran Ashwin, they have acquired an experienced campaigner who, on his day, is capable of turning the game on its head. The team is stacked with match-winners right from the top to the bottom, and it is safe to say that this could well and truly be their year. Delhi rode on the back of their veterans' performances to qualify for the playoffs, beating Bangalore in their final group stage game.

There have been a couple of specials innings already played in a Delhi shirt, but you might be wondering who is the highest run-scorer for Delhi so far? Well, here’s a list of players with most runs scored for Delhi in the 2020 Indian T20 League:

Player	Runs	Average	Strike Rate
Shikhar Dhawan	618	44.14	144.73
Shreyas Iyer	519	34.60	123.27
Marcus Stoinis	352	25.14	148.52
Rishabh Pant	343	31.18	113.95
Prithvi Shaw	228	17.53	136.52

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / Delhi

Delhi looking to upstage reigning champions Mumbai and win it all

It’s No. 1 taking on No. 2, as reigning champions Mumbai battle Delhi in the final of the 2020 Indian T20 League.

Delhi will be playing in their first final while for Mumbai, it will be their sixth, in pursuit of a fifth title and a second on the trot.

Here are the key facts from the contest:

A tale of two halves for Rohit

Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma was stellar in the early half of the season, scoring 211 in six matches at a decent strike rate of 35.17 and a healthy strike rate of 145.52.

However, he has been abysmal over his last five games.

Sharma tallied just 53 runs, averaging 10.6 and a strike rate of only 82.81. To put that into context, his replacement at the top in absence, Ishan Kishan scored more runs in an innings than Sharma has in his last five matches thrice over Mumbai's last six matches.

Is the skipper saving the best for the last or will he continue his disappointing form in the final?

Jasprit Bumrah: Marcus Stoinis' nightmare

Marcus Stoinis was playing an absolute blinder for Delhi in Qualifier 1, keeping the game alive for his side with some sensational bowling in the middle overs, but Mumbai's Jasprit Bumrah knocked his middle out with the ball that he bowled in the death overs, ending the match as a contest.

Bumrah has now dismissed Stoinis thrice in five matches and the Australian has scored just 14 runs in 21 matches against the Indian speedster. Delhi maybe have a weapon in Stoinis, but Mumbai wield the perfect neutraliser in Bumrah.

Players to watch out for

Mumbai – Trent Boult

While Jasprit Bumrah is deservedly taking all the plaudits, Trent Boult has quietly been sensational for Mumbai, picking up 22 wickets, the third most for Mumbai this season. Boult, who signed for Mumbai via a trade from Delhi this past offseason, loves playing against his former side and has picked up five wickets in his last two matches against the first-time finalists despite bowling just six overs in those two contests. Delhi's top order is susceptible to swing and Boult, one of the best swing bowlers on the planet, has exploited that to great effect and Mumbai will be hoping that he can do that in the final as well.

Delhi – Shikhar Dhawan

It’s been Shikhar or bust for Delhi's batting order this season. The league’s second-highest runscorer has three ducks in his last seven matches but has scored two centuries and two fifties in the other four, meaning that if he gets off the mark, he usually converts it into a big score. Delhi have failed to score over 160 in the seven matches that Dhawan had been dismissed before reaching 30, illustrating the team's heavy reliance on their veteran opener. Dhawan’s wicket is half the game for Mumbai and it will be intriguing to see what approach the Delhi-native adopts against the side that dismissed him on a duck in Qualifier 1.

Stats to watch out

2: Mumbai’s Kieron Pollard needs two sixes to become the first player to hit 200 sixes for Mumbai in the Indian T20 League. He will become the sixth player to hit 200 sixes in the league after Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

8: Rohit Sharma needs eight runs to complete 4,000 runs in the Indian T20 League for Mumbai. He will become the third player to score that many for one franchise after Suresh Raina (Chennai) and Virat Kohli (Bangalore).

21: Delhi’s Ravichandran Ashwin has picked up 21 wickets against Mumbai, the most he’s managed against a team in the league.

40: Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer needs 40 runs to become Delhi's all-time leading runscorer in the Indian T20 League.

200: Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma will play in his 200^th Indian T20 League match, joining Chennai’s MS Dhoni in achieving the feat. Fellow opener Quinton de Kock will also be playing his 200^th T20 match.

Writer’s pick

Mumbai simply have too much firepower with the ball for Delhi's batting line-up and possess immense batting depth that has and will hurt Delhi’s well-rounded bowling unit. It’s Mumbai's game to lose.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Indian T20 League

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Talking points from Delhi's historic win over Hyderabad

An outstanding performance with the bat followed by a stellar showing from their pacers saw Delhi beat Hyderabad by 17 wickets in Qualifier 2 to reach their maiden Indian T20 League final.

Here are the key talking points from the contest:

The dubious duality of Shikhar Dhawan

After being dismissed for a duck against Mumbai in Qualifier 1, Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan redeemed himself in grand fashion, smashing 78 off 50 balls to help his side post a massive, and eventually a match-winning total of 179 on the board. Dhawan has now scored two fifties and two centuries in his last seven outings, however, he failed to get off the mark in the other three, returning to the pavilion for a duck. If he manages to get off the mark in the final, Mumbai will have to put extra effort to get rid of the veteran opener.

Williamson's valiant knock

Having walked in with the scoreboard reading 43/2 and 44/3 soon after, Kane Williamson was the last man standing between Delhi and maiden final appearance. And the Kiwi batsmen ensured that he kept the game alive right until the 17th over with an incredibly stylish knock of 67 off 45 balls. However, with wickets tumbling at the other end and the required rate rising, Williamson finally succumbed on the penultimate ball of the 17th over which effectively ended the contest. Irrespective, it was a stellar knock from one of the best batsmen on the planet.

Stoinis' sizzling all-round display

Despite the change in role and being sent as an opener, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis continued where he left off against Mumbai, smashing 38 off 27 balls before being dismissed by a ripper from Rashid Khan. He then came in to bowl in the powerplay and dealt a killer blow to Hyderabad’s chances, picking up two wickets in the space of three balls to reduce the opposition to 44/3. Stoinis then put the nail in Hyderabad's coffin by dismissing Williamson in the 17th over. Stoinis' all-round brilliance earned him the man of the match award.

Can Delhi get over the Mumbai hunch?

With this win, Delhi head to the final to take on Mumbai, who they will face for the fourth time this season. Mumbai have beaten Delhi four times on the trot, with none of the matches being particularly close. Mumbai well and truly have Delhi's number and the first time finalists will need a performance of a lifetime from their star men if they are to usurp the reigning champions.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League

Indian T20 League, Qualifier 2: It’s all or nothing for Delhi and Hyderabad

As per the points table, it will be second versus third when Delhi take on Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 at the Shiekh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi with a place in the final against league-leaders and reigning champions Mumbai at stake.

Hyderabad have the psychological edge having already beaten Delhi twice this season and also having won five of their last six matches, while Delhi come into this fixture with only one win in their last six outings.

Ahead of this all-important clash, here are the key facts about the contest:

Will Rashid be Delhi's doom again?

Year after year, Rashid Khan continues to prove himself as one of the best, if not the best, spin bowlers in T20s.

The Afghanistan leggie has picked 19 wickets in 15 matches at a scarcely believable economy rate of 5.30. While he has a good record against every team in the league, his numbers against Delhi are particularly impressive.

In five matches against Delhi since 2019, Rashid has picked up 10 scalps and a mind-boggling economy rate of just 3.80. The 22-year-old simply knows how to thwart the Delhi batting line-up and like the rest of the league, Delhi will likely just play out his quota of four overs, but that has rarely stopped Rashid from picking up wickets for his side.

Rashid Khan vs teams in Indian T20 League since 2019
Teams	Balls	Runs	Wkts	4s	6s	Economy	SR	Avg	Balls//boundary
Chennai	96	103	3	8	5	6.44	32.00	34.33	7.38
Delhi	120	76	10	8	0	3.80	12.00	7.60	15.00
Punjab	96	67	9	2	2	4.19	10.67	7.44	24.00
Kolkata	96	102	4	10	2	6.38	24.00	25.50	8.00
Mumbai	96	102	3	6	4	6.38	32.00	34.00	9.60
Rajasthan	96	99	5	7	2	6.19	19.20	19.80	10.67
Bangalore	120	146	2	7	8	7.30	60.00	73.00	8.00

Players to watch out for

Delhi – Shikhar Dhawan

Since hitting two centuries on the trot, Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan has gone cold after having scored just 60 runs in the subsequent five matches, which includes three ducks. With Prithvi Shaw struggling to get going as well, Dhawan's baffling drop in form came at the worst time for Delhi and given his record in the playoffs, it is unlikely that he would be able to turn it around against Hyderabad. In 19 knockout matches, Dhawan has a strike rate of just 94.06 and an average of just 10.21, a terrible return for any player, let alone one of Dhawan's ability. If Hyderabad crack open Delhi's top order like Mumbai did in Qualifier 1, it could be lights out for the team from the capital.

Hyderabad – Jason Holder

Since his injection into the playing XI, Jason Holder and Hyderabad have been on a roll, with the big West Indian picking up 13 scalps in six matches at an economy rate of just 7.62, a fantastic return for a bowler who plays as the third choice seamer in the side. Holder has picked up at least one wicket in each of his six appearances this season and has the best strike rate of any bowler in the league at 11.08, ahead of the likes of Purple Cap competitors Jasprit Bumrah(12.44) and Kagiso Rabada (14.08), who are second and third respectively. Holder's work in the middle overs and the death has been nothing short of gold for Hyderabad and the team would be hopeful that he can continue his good work against Delhi and potentially, Mumbai.

Stats to watch out

2: Delhi’s Ravichandran Ashwin is just two wickets shy of 250 scalps in T20s. He could become the third Indian bowler to achieve the feat after Piyush Chawla and Amit Mishra.

5: David Warner needs five sixes to complete 200 maximums in the Indian T20 League. He could become the sixth batsman after Chris Gayle, AB Devilliers, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to achieve this feat.

6: Team batting second have won six straight matches at Abu Dhabi.

21: Hyderabad’s Wriddhimann Saha needs 21 runs to complete 2000 runs in the Indian T20 League. He could become the 39th batsman to reach the mark in the league.

Writer’s pick

Given the terrible form of Delhi's batter and a brilliant one of Hyderabad’s bowlers, we pick the Orange Army to win this contest and head to the final for a repeat of the final group stage match of the season.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Noah Seelam

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Brett’s watch list: Setting up for the climax

As the 2020 Indian T20 League approaches its climax, the identity of all four playoff teams were decided in the last game of the league stage following Hyderabad’s win over Mumbai. Qualifier 1 will witness Mumbai locking horns with Delhi, while Hyderabad take on Bangalore in the Eliminator.

With plenty of stars set to be involved in the upcoming clashes, expect some big-match performances, and here are my picks for potential game-changers from each team.

Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav has been Mumbai’s most impressive batsman this season and the stylish right-hander will be hoping to finish the campaign on a strong note as his team eyes its fifth Indian T20 League crown. Second only to Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul on the leaderboard for most fours hit (54) this year, Suryakumar has been in scintillating form, with cries for his inclusion to the national team getting louder with each passing game. He has scored 410 runs at an average of 41.00 and an impressive strike rate of 150.18. Having been among the runs in most of his games so far, Suryakumar will be looking to finish on a high by adding to his three fifties this season – one of which came against Delhi.

Shikhar Dhawan

If Delhi are to put their best foot forward in Qualifier 1, they will need their go-to batsman this season to fire at the top of the order. After a slow start to the campaign, Dhawan came into his own and is now Delhi’s leading run-getter for this season. Third on the leaderboard for most runs this season, Dhawan has made 525 runs at an average of 47.72, striking at 145.02. He’s scored three fifties and two centuries in back-to-back games. The last time Dhawan faced Mumbai in the 2020 Indian T20 League, he made a duck. However, he also made an unbeaten 69 against them earlier in the season and I think the elegant left-hander will front a similar display against the defending champions in Dubai on Thursday.

Rashid Khan

The only bowler among my picks, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan has enjoyed another good season with Hyderabad. The leading wicket-taker for Hyderabad this year, with 19 scalps to his name, Rashid’s bowling average of 15.57 and economy of 5.28 are both the best in the league for any bowler across the team, and he’s second only to Rajasthan’s Jofra Archer when it comes to most dot balls this season, with Rashid bowling 152 dot balls so far while Archer finished his season on 175. I will be interested in seeing if he can get the better of Bangalore’s star-studded batting line-up because the winner of the duel between Rashid and the opposition’s best batters is likely to decide the outcome of the match.

AB de Villiers

The former South African skipper may not be leading Bangalore’s run-scoring chart, but there can be no denying the fact that he’s been the player who has had the biggest impact on the fortunes of the team. When on song, he’s the stuff of nightmares for bowlers, especially at the death. Capable of playing all around the ground, Mr. 360 as he’s fondly known has proved himself to be a big-match player in the past. He’s made 398 runs this season at an average of 44.22 and a staggering strike rate of 163.78. A difference-maker in pressure circumstances, de Villiers has hit 23 maximums this year and made four fifties, including a match-winning unbeaten 73 against Kolkata, which he would love to replicate against Hyderabad on Friday.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / @SDhawan25

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Talking points from Delhi's valiant win over Bangalore

A sensational bowling display followed by a measured chase saw Delhi score an easy six-wicket win over Bangalore and seal their place in Qualifier 1 against Mumbai in the 2020 Indian T20 League.

Here are the key talking points from the contest:

A masterclass from the veterans

Chasing a modest total, Delhi lost Prithvi Shaw in just the second over, sending jitters in their dugout, but their two most experienced batsmen, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane batted beautifully to ensure victory for their side. The duo forged a 78-run partnership that broke Bangalore’s resilience and set Delhi on course for an easy chase. While Dhawan smashed 54 off 41 balls, Rahane scored a measured 60 off 46 that reduced the asking rate to a run a ball. A fantastic chase set up by two wily veterans.

Pace attack does the trick

Delhi's pace duo of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada have been sensational all season long and in their final league game of the season, they yet again came to the fore, combining to pick five wickets in their eight overs. Nortje and Rabada picked up timely wickets, breaking every momentum-building partnership that Bangalore built and limiting them to just 152 on the scoreboard. A stellar display that sealed the second spot for Delhi.

Devdutt does it again

While the rest of Bangalore's batting order struggled to get going, opener Devdutt Padikkal was yet again on song for his side, scoring a valiant 50 off 41 that helped his side put a fighting total on the scoreboard. The youngster smashed five boundaries in a typically classy knock that saw him climb to third on the list of the league’s leading runscorers this season. With Bangalore guaranteed at least one more match, Padikkal could breach the 500 mark in his maiden Indian T20 League campaign, which would be a stellar achievement for the southpaw.

Victory in defeat

While Bangalore did lose this contest, they managed to bowl 19 overs before Delhi eventually reached the target. Bangalore had to ensure that they bowled at least 17.3 overs to stay ahead of Kolkata on net run rate and they cleared that mark by eight balls to qualify for the playoffs. They will now take on either Kolkata or Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 on Friday.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League

Brett’s watch list: Fight for the top four heats up

As we approach the final weekend of league stage action in the 2020 Indian T20 League, the battle for the playoff spots is still wide open with several teams in with a shot of finishing in the top four. Mumbai are the only team to have qualified for the playoffs so far and we will have a better idea about who might join them in the top four following this weekend’s games.

Here, I assess the players who could play a big part in dictating the fortunes of their teams over the weekend. With action-packed doubleheaders set to take centre stage, here are the players from all eight teams who I feel have the X-factor to be the gamechanger for their respective sides.

Delhi - Shikhar Dhawan

Following a slow start to the season, Shikhar Dhawan has really come into his own in the second half of the Indian T20 League and will be looking to finish the league stage encounters for Delhi with a flourish. He’s their top-scorer this season, having made 471 runs at an average of 52.33 and a strike rate of 147.64. His 52 boundaries for Delhi this year are by far the most by a player from the team and his back-to-back centuries a couple of matches ago reminded the world of what he’s capable of on his day. He made an unbeaten 69 against Mumbai in their earlier meeting this season and will be hoping for a similar knock against them on Saturday.

Mumbai - Quinton de Kock

The South African wicketkeeper has really stepped up in the absence of the injured Rohit Sharma to make sure that Mumbai don’t miss the Hitman’s influence at the top of the order too much. Quinton de Kock is Mumbai’s top run-getter, having scored 392 at an average of 39.20 and a strike rate of 140. A true boundary-hitter if there ever was one, de Kock smashed 34 fours, 18 sixes and scored four half-centuries for Mumbai this year. He made 53 against Delhi in their earlier meeting this season and will be eager to produce another solid knock against the side from the national capital on Saturday.

Bangalore - Devdutt Padikkal

One of the revelations of the season, Devdutt Padikkal is second only to skipper Virat Kohli when it comes to runs scored for Bangalore. He’s made 417 runs, scoring four fifties along the way and is averaging 34.75. A natural stroke-maker, he’s far ahead of the rest of his teammates as far as fours are concerned, having found the boundary ropes on 45 occasions this year. He scored his first fifty against Hyderabad on his Indian T20 League debut and will head into Saturday’s clash against David Warner’s boys having made 74 in his previous outing. I think you’d be wise to keep your eye on this young man for the remainder of the tournament.

Hyderabad – David Warner

Warner may not have enjoyed the best of seasons compared to his lofty standards, but the Hyderabad skipper is still his team’s leading run-scorer, having made 436 in 12 matches. He’s made three half-centuries so far and his average of 39.63 and strike rate of 134.56 isn’t bad either. However, none of those numbers will matter when his team face Bangalore on Saturday. A pressure match that Hyderabad must win to keep their bleak hopes alive, I think we’ll see Warner step up and grab the match by the scruff of its neck when his team need him the most.

Chennai - Ravindra Jadeja

One of the constant criticisms that I’ve seen levelled against Chennai over the course of the season is that all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is batting too low and needs to move up the order. However, cries for a promotion for Jadeja in the batting line-up have mostly fallen on deaf ears. Jadeja, though, has still managed to score 232 for Chennai at an average of 46.40 – the best in the team – and a strike rate of 171.85, which isn’t bettered by any player from the side either. He played a match-winning knock to take his team to victory in their last match against Kolkata and will be eager for a repeat of that as Chennai look to end their season on a high.

Punjab - Mandeep Singh

Unlike the rest of the batsmen on my list, Mandeep Singh hasn’t had the best of seasons but seemed to find some form when they beat Kolkata. Mandeep played a starring role with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 66 that guided his team to victory, and more crucially, helped Punjab leapfrog Kolkata in the standings. He made 27 against Chennai in his first game for Punjab this season and will want to play an innings of substance against them on Sunday as KL Rahul’s boys look to seal the playoff spot.

Kolkata - Shubman Gill

Kolkata’s best batsman this year, Shubman Gill has grabbed the opportunity to open for the two-time champions with both hands. He’s made 404 runs at an average of 33.66 and a strike rate of 115.75 while hitting 38 boundaries as well as nine maximums along the way. Unfortunately for Gill, a lack of support from the rest of his teammates means that Kolkata find themselves in a precarious position staring at the exit door. That said, they still have an outside chance of qualification and Gill will know that he needs to be at his best if Kolkata want to take their fight for a top-four finish down to the wire.

Rajasthan - Sanju Samson

Although he’s fallen away slightly from his blistering early season form, the explosive Sanju Samson is still Rajasthan’s top run-getter, having scored 374 runs at an average of 31.16 and a strike rate of 161.20. A monster six-hitter, no player across the teams has managed to hit more maximums than Samson’s 26 this season. With Rajasthan having an outside chance of making the playoffs, it is imperative for their cause that Samson makes his presence felt against an often-tame Kolkata bowling line-up on Sunday.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League

Delhi look to regain winning momentum in Hyderabad clash

After successive losses in the Indian T20 League, Delhi will be looking to bounce back with a victory when they take on Hyderabad in Dubai on Tuesday. Even though they look destined for the playoffs and are currently second in the standings with 14 points, the side from the national capital will want to return to winning ways soon and get some confidence back in the squad.

Hyderabad, on the other hand, are practically out of the playoff reckoning and presently find themselves second from bottom in the points table having managed to win just four games all season. However, they got the better of Delhi in their clash earlier this season and will be hoping for a repeat of that on Tuesday.

The head-to-head between the teams also favours Hyderabad, who have won 10 of their 16 games against Delhi. They will be eager to secure a morale-boosting win, if nothing else, against Delhi and here are a few key battles and players that could make a difference in the match.

Ravichandran Ashwin versus David Warner and Manish Pandey

Ravichandran Ashwin hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons with Delhi and has taken just eight wickets in nine games so far. His bowling average of 36.13 against Hyderabad – his worst against any current Indian T20 League team – isn’t the most encouraging either. Having said that, he has enjoyed some success against some Hyderabad batsmen in the past and will want an upturn in fortune in Dubai. Ashwin’s picked up the wickets of David Warner and Manish Pandey twice in the past and will be keen to add to that tally.

Batsman	Innings	Run Scored	Dismissals	Strike Rate
David Warner	8	78	2	105.40
Manish Pandey	11	58	2	111.53

Table: Ravichandran Ashwin vs Warner and Pandey in Indian T20 League.

Sandeep Sharma against Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer

Like Ashwin, Hyderabad’s Sandeep Sharma isn’t enjoying the most fruitful of Indian T20 League seasons. Normally a very reliable option for Hyderabad, Sandeep has managed to get just six wickets this year and has been on the expensive side. However, he could play a role against a few of Delhi’s batsman having come out on top against them in a few individual battles in past games. Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer are two batsmen from Delhi who will know all about Sandeep having been dismissed by him more than once.

Batsman	Innings	Run Scored	Dismissals	Strike Rate
Ajinkya Rahane	8	63	2	92.64
Shreyas Iyer	8	34	3	72.34

Table: Sandeep Sharma vs Rahane and Iyer in Indian T20 League.

Players to watch:

Hyderabad – Jason Holder

Jason Holder has performed well for Hyderabad ever since coming into the team and has taken five wickets in the two games he’s played so far. His economy of 7.50 is the best by a Hyderabad fast bowler barring the injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Holder has also excelled in the death overs, strengthening Hyderabad’s bowling in that phase and has taken three wickets in slog overs thus far.

Delhi – Shikhar Dhawan

Following a slow start to the season, Shikhar Dhawan has struck form at the right moment for Delhi and is currently second on the leaderboard for runs (471). He’ll be keen on making amends having missed out in Delhi’s last game against Kolkata and will back himself to add to the two fifties and two centuries that he’s already scored this year.

Stats to watch out for:

4: Wickets needed by Jason Holder to reach 100 T20 Wickets.

17: Runs Needed by Kane Williamson to reach 1500 runs in the Indian T20 League.

17.50: Shikhar Dhawan’s average versus Hyderabad, his lowest against any current team in the Indian T20 League.

327: Kane Williamson has scored 327 runs against Delhi at an average of 54.50, his most runs scored against any team in the Indian T20 League.

356: Runs Rishabh Pant has scored against Hyderabad at an average of 44.50, his most against any current team in the Indian T20 League.

Writer’s pick:

Delhi should have enough firepower to beat Hyderabad and will go into the match as favourites. The losses in their last two games will only be added motivation for the side from the national capital to regain some momentum ahead of the business end of the 2020 Indian T20 League. While Hyderabad do have players to punish Delhi, Shreyas Iyer’s side are the more balanced team and should leave Dubai with maximum points.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Noah Seelam

Brett's Watchlist: Dhawan, Rashid will be the ones to watch out for on Saturday

In a flash, the 2020 Indian T20 League has gone by and we are now in the final week of the league stage of the campaign.

So far, by my reckoning, three teams - Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore - are looking well clear of the rest of the teams but the fight for the fourth spot is well and truly on, with multiple teams in contention for that final place in the playoffs.

While it will take a collective effort from the team to get across the finish line, there are a few players who could be the difference between winning and losing for their teams. Here’s my list of the players who could be the game changers for their teams this Saturday:

Kolkata – Pat Cummins

When Kolkata shelled out INR 15.5 crores for Pat Cummins, they were expecting to get a strike bowler who could pick wickets in tandem with Sunil Narine. However, he has struggled to pick wickets this season and currently has only three in 10 matches. What Pat has certainly surprised everyone with is his ability with the bat. He has 130 runs this season, including a brilliant 50 against a strong Mumbai bowling lineup. But, at the end of the day, he was brought in to pick wickets, which he hasn’t been able to do. He still has four matches to turn his and Kolkata’s quickly tanking season around and I back him to be able to do that, starting against Delhi on Saturday.

Delhi – Shikhar Dhawan

In the early part of the season, Shikhar Dhawan was consistently scoring 20s and 30s but was failing to convert those starts into big scores. But that hasn’t been the case lately. Over his last four matches, Dhawan has scored 333 runs and batted through the innings thrice. He also became the first man to hit back-to-back centuries in the Indian T20 League, doing it in Delhi's win over Chennai and then in a tough loss against Punjab. Dhawan has found his touch right at the business end of the tournament, and with Prithvi Shaw struggling, I think his good form is even more crucial to Delhi moving forward.

Ravi Bishnoi - Punjab

One of the primary reasons why I love the Indian T20 League is the opportunity it presents to young Indian players to rub shoulders with the best cricketers on the planet. One player that I'm particularly interested in is Punjab's young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. He was sensational in the Under-19 World Cup and he’s been brilliant this season, bowling economical spells and picking up timely wickets for his team. What I like about him is he has this feisty attitude and he’s not afraid of being hit and will stay true to his style even if the opposition is targeting him.

Rashid Khan – Hyderabad

Speaking of feisty leg-spinners, few are as good and as aggressive as Rashid Khan. 11 wickets so far this season doesn’t truly reflect his value to the team. He’s bowling at a tremendous economy rate of 5.52 and an average of just 19.63. The other seven teams have recognised that Rashid is the spearhead of the Hyderabad bowling attack and it’s futile to go after him, which explains his ridiculous economy rate this season. Despite his form, Hyderabad are well off the pace in the race for a playoff spot. They have four matches to salvage this season and they are going to need a big contribution from their ace if they are to pull off the improbable.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Hyderabad

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Attacking Shikhar Dhawan shows template for openers

"There's a certain role that we want Shikhar (Dhawan) to play in this team. Even by his own admission, he would've liked to score quicker today," Ricky Ponting said last year after Delhi made a less than impressive start in the game against Chennai. Dhawan's T20 batting has come under heavy scrutiny in the past because he more often than not sticks to an ODI template.

All that changed in the last two matches in the Indian T20 League as he made 101* (58) and 106* (61). More importantly, he has started off with a bang in the Powerplay overs.

Against Chennai, Dhawan was on 24 in 16 balls after the first six overs. Against Punjab, he made 35 in 20 balls and was on the charge from ball one.

The difference in Dhawan's attacking gameplay is evident in the last couple of seasons. His Powerplay strike-rate is a good indicator to understand how Dhawan starts off in an innings. Between 2008 and 2018, Dhawan scored at over a strike-rate of 130 in the Powerplay in only one year.

In 2019, he scored 338 of his runs in the Powerplay alone, striking at 143.8 while averaging a pretty good 48.3. In 2020, the strike-rate is still above 140 and the average has shot up to 60.

Dhawan's flair and intent at the crease have gone up immensely since Ponting's concern surrounding his scoring rate affecting the team's chances.

His runs-per-over has gone up from 7.43 before that game to 8.73 after it, and the remarkable intent he has shown at the beginning has helped Delhi take off in the middle overs even when Rishabh Pant has been unavailable.

The set template for openers this season, driven by the Orange Cap holder himself, is to bat deep into innings without taking undue risks early on. Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Faf du Plessis and of course KL Rahul have all been advocates of the same.

Delhi, though, have taken an alternative route. With Prithvi Shaw also going all guns blazing, they have chosen to put lesser value on their wicket but tried to score quicker, and it has worked out brilliantly for Dhawan at least.

He has only been dismissed thrice in the Powerplay this season and is right behind Rahul in the run-scorers chart with 465 runs at an average of 66.43 (compare it to 67.5 by Rahul) and a strike-rate of 149.03 (Rahul has 135.67), the second-best after Mayank Agarwal by an opener this year in the league.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Delhi

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