LSG vs DC Highlights, IPL 2022: De Kock shines as Lucknow Super Giants beat Delhi Capitals by six wickets

Finally. The 24-year-old is included in the XI against Lucknow Super Giants.

“I'm striking it well and it's just a matter of one innings and the process is going well from the nets itself. Since 2018 he (Ricky Ponting) has been coaching the Delhi Capitals and I think he is like a boss of the team and he really sets up the targets among the players and he has got 15-20 years experience in international cricket and he just shares his experience on how he used to play and he used to captain the IPL games and gives us the feedback, I'm enjoying playing under him.”

“The wicket looks pretty good, the grass is fairly even. Average score is about 170. There will be turn but it won't be extravagant,” says Swann.

“The best thing that could happen to Warner is the presence of Ricky Ponting. He had fell out with the management (at SRH). Ricky Ponting, is a no-nonsense Aussie leader and Warner is back to an environment where he is comfortable.”

So it is confirmed. David Warner is set to make his (second) debut for the Delhi franchise!

Warner is set to be back in the XI for Capitals, and the batter could be seen in warm-up sessions. He has been attempting a significant number of reverse-sweeps..

While LSG are 5th on the points table with two wins in three games, DC are 7th (one win in 2 matches).

If LSG secure a big win tonight, there could a possibility of them displacing Kolkata Knight Riders at the top spot as well.

Or at least that is how it is being portrayed! With an addition of another North Indian team, this looks more like a North Indian derby with teams from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh squaring off for the first time in IPL.

Kuldeep has been impressive in his first two outings for the DC, picking four wickets in two matches so far.

LSG's Manish Pandey is among those players with the lowest batting SR against pacers since the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.

With 121.66, Pandey has scored 191 runs against fast bowlers in 10 innings.

Rovman has the second-highest strike rate in 2022 in the shortest format of the game (183.21) - among those who have played 100 or more balls.

Powell is has also hit 22 sixes which is 9 more than the fours he has smashed in the format in 2022.

However, the West Indian big-hitter is yet to bring his best in the IPL so far. Will tonight be his night?

KL Rahul has led India before (during the 2nd Test between India and South Africa in Johannesburg, as well as the three-match ODI series between the two sides). Pant, meanwhile, was vice-captain in one of the games during the India-Sri Lanka T20Is in February. 

The two leading players in Team India are set to assume leadership role for the national side in a few years, and their captaincy stint in the IPL could be key for it.

Like LSG, DC will also be fretting over the form of Mandeep Singh; but the Capitals have a number of options in players like KS Bharat, Yash Dhull, and Sarfaraz Khan to replace Mandeep.

Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Yash Dhull/KS Bharat, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Rovman Powell, Shardul Thakur, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman

It is likely that LSG finally decide to bench Manish Pandey, owing to his consistent performances.

LSG Probable XI: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Manan Vohra, Evin Lewis, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Andrew Tye, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi

At the DY Patil Stadium, Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants have successfully defended totals. The moisture wasn't particularly significant during the previous game at the venue against LSG and SRH.

Will captains go against the trend and opt to bat?

But it seems the quarantine period won't allow so. Marcus Stoinis joined the LSG squad last night, but he is unlikely to feature in the game tonight. Stoinis had been a vital part of the DC squad over the past few years, as he played a key role in DC's run to a maiden IPL final in the 2020 edition.

DC's leading spinner Axar Patel may become the only third player in the history of the tournament to register an incredible double - if he scores one more run, and takes five more wickets.

He will join Chennai Super Kings' duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo as only the third player to have more than 1000 runs and 100 wickets to his name in the tournament. 

It was a left-right combination for DC in the past few years with Shikhar Dhawan pairing Shaw; however, this time, the Capitals see a return of their star batter David Warner, who will replace Dhawan for another left-right opening pair.

While Warner enjoys the best average in IPL in Powerplays since 2016, Avesh has taken 8 wickets in the Powerplay so far, in addition to Bishnoi's brilliant record against Warner (2 wickets in four.

Currently third in the Purple cap list, Avesh has 7 wickets in three games for the side, including a four-wicket haul in the previous game against SRH.

Avesh picked the important wickets of Kane Williamson and Abhishek Sharma upfront, and then removed a dangerous-looking Nicholas Pooran to snatch the game from SRH's grasp.

After the IPL mega auction, Avesh had revealed that Rishabh Pant expressed grief over not being able to bring back the youngster to Delhi Capitals; Avesh had represented the DC in four seasons between 2018-2021.

The speedster ended the 2021 edition with 24 wickets to his name in 16 matches, ending as the Capitals' highest wicket-taker in the season.

The Bangladesh left-arm pacer registered figures of 3/23 in four overs against the Gujarat Titans. While no other bowler had an economy rate of less than 8, Mustafizur ended with a brilliant 5.75.

With Nortje set to return to the XI, DC fans will expect a lethal pairing between the two. 

The South African pairing of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje breathed fire for the Capitals throughout the past two seasons. However, while DC failed to bring back Rabada in the auction, they did succeed to bring back Mustafizur Rahman, who is widely considered to be one of the most consistent bowlers in the shortest format.

While Shardul Thakur produced a brilliant performance with the bat in the opening game against Mumbai Indians, he has been fairly expensive with the ball, conceding runs in excess of 40 in both games so far.

With the return of Nortje, DC may use Shardul more as a batting all-rounder.