The IPL 2021 Playoff begins with the most anticipated match-up as the top two teams in Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings face each other eyeing a place in the final. While DC have had the upper hand over CSK in the two league matches of the season, their playoff record against the three-time champions isn't the greatest. In the 22 matches played between CSK and DC in the Playoffs, the Men in Yellow have triumphed on 13 occasions.
Having said that, former Australia spinner Brad Hogg has picked the Capitals as favourite to beat CSK in Qualifier 1 on Sunday in Dubai. Going by DC's strength, Hogg reckons the Mumbai Indians were the only team capable enough of beating the Capitals and now that they have been eliminated, the other three teams to reach the Playoffs – Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore and CSK – will have a tough time getting past the Capitals.
"Delhi Capitals are the best because they are playing against the third best team in the competition - Chennai Super Kings. Delhi Capitals are going to expose a lot of weaknesses in the Chennai line-up. If you look at the DC bowling line-up, they have got pace - Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan opening the bowling, (Kagiso) Rabada coming in the middle overs as well with the extra pace. They have two quality spinners in Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin," Hogg said on his YouTube channel.
{{/usCountry}}"Delhi Capitals are the best because they are playing against the third best team in the competition - Chennai Super Kings. Delhi Capitals are going to expose a lot of weaknesses in the Chennai line-up. If you look at the DC bowling line-up, they have got pace - Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan opening the bowling, (Kagiso) Rabada coming in the middle overs as well with the extra pace. They have two quality spinners in Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin," Hogg said on his YouTube channel.
{{/usCountry}}As far as game against CSK goes, Hogg has backed two players in particular to trouble Chennai. CSK's middle order has been an area of concern, and if one is to take out the contributions of Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top, the rest of the CSK batting appears vulnerable. Which is why Hogg feels that if Anrich Nortje and Avesh Khan can knock over CSK's openers, it could be game over for the three-time champions.
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"Nortje and Avesh Khan against Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad, they are going to expose a few weaknesses with the short ball to both of those players. If they get early wickets, then they expose that middle-order, which is starting to fall out of form a little bit," Hogg added.
"Moeen Ali has lost his way a little bit. Uthappa hasn't adopted that well to the middle-order role. If Raina comes back as well, he doesn't like pace. I am not confident with Rayudu’s form at the moment and Dhoni as well seems to be out of touch. They can’t rely on Jadeja and Bravo to make up for that weakness in the middle-order."