Warner to star against his favourite opponents
- Delhi Capitals v Kolkata Knight Riders
- TATA Indian Premier League
- Thursday April 28, 2022
- Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (3pm UK)
Thursday sees the inconsistent Delhi Capitals take on the out-of-form Kolkata Knight Riders in a game both sides, who currently sit outside the top four qualifying places, desperately need to win.
Delhi have very much had a rollercoaster IPL campaign to date. I predicted a win for them last time out against Rajasthan Royals, as I couldn’t believe Jos Buttler could come up with what he did, a third century for the Royals.
No cigar that day but I suppose this is one of the reasons why we love this sport.
Capital gains for Punter’s Delhi after near miss against the Royals
If they continue to play as they have recently – they were not far short of successfully chasing a mammoth 223 to win against Rajasthan Royals last time out – then I think they look good for the win this time.
Also likely to be back in the mix is leading Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who has been out due to Covid but said he hopes to be fit and ready to play in this one.
That’s another big boost for the team I am siding with at 10/11 with William Hill.
They will certainly be keen to focus on cricket after the controversy surrounding the latter stages of their chase against Rajasthan on Friday when they were fuming about the non-awarding of a no ball which could have seen them get over the line.
Coach Ricky Ponting missed that game with Covid. A return to the bench would also be a huge boost for the team.
KKR, meanwhile, are on the crest of a slump. They won three of their first four but have now lost all of their last four. They succumbed to the brilliance of Rashid Khan against Gujarat Titans last time out but perhaps more pertinent was their 44-run defeat by Delhi themselves, when the teams met on April 10.
They struggled to deal with Kuldeep Yadav’s left arm spin that day and he should play a huge part again against his former team, with his four wickets on that occasion fresh in the memory.
He is 11/4 with Betfair Sportsbook to be Delhi’s top wicket-taker.
You don’t keep Warner down for long, especially not against Kolkata
As I said last time I previewed Delhi, David Warner is such a huge player for them. And, although not quite Jos Buttler-like, he continues to deliver with runs of substance in this competition.
Warner was, unusually, outgunned by three of his DC teammates in the Rajasthan defeat last week. However, I expect him to get back on the horse very quickly.
For me he remains the man you want to have on your side as top scorer – especially in games with Kolkata, against whom he has scored 976 runs in 25 games. That makes them his most profitable career opponent.
Betfair are offering a price boost of 7/2 on him to be Delhi’s top-scorer in this match, as he did against them earlier this month with 61.
If you believe having a new haircut also helps, you are in luck.
* IPL betting odds quoted correct at the time of writing. All odds are subject to changes.
