IPL 2019 Eliminator DC vs SRH Preview: Can Delhi rise against Hyderabad?

In the eliminator of VIVO Indian Premier League 2019 (IPL 2019), Delhi Capitals will face Sunrisers Hyderabad at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. The winner of the match will lock horns with Chennai Super Kings at same venue in qualifier 2 on Friday. While Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi has a strong batting line-up with Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant in the top order. Hyderabad boasts a strong bowling attack with the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar, young pacer Khaleel Ahmed and the spin duo from Afghanistan, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi in their playing 11. The match is crucial as any mistake at this stage will result in elimination. Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer said the teams'prolific run in the league matches is "all in the past, and we are now really looking forward to the eliminator."

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"It is going to be an amazing challenge against SRH. They have an incredible team, and at no point will it be easy for us. The team is pumped up, and is looking forward to the match tomorrow,” Iyer said on Wednesday.
 
“We know that we have made history, we have qualified for the playoffs after seven years. It doesn’t mean that we have to change anything or start something new. We have to believe in ourselves and in our ability to win the match and secure our place in the next match,” he added.

 
Delhi would look to exploit the weakness in Hyderabad's batting, while the latter would look to strike early and break Delhi's momentum.
 
At this stage, both the teams would shy away from changes in the playing 11, but the pitch in Vizag has been favourable to spinners.
 
It could be a low-scoring affair but the stadium may hold surprises.
 
The two teams defeated each other in their respective away matches this season and it was SRH who won the first match in Delhi when they beat the Capitals by 5 wickets. However, Delhi Capitals made a comeback in the away leg after they took 8 wickets for just 15 runs to restrict SRH to 116 all out and win the match by 39 runs.
 
The two teams have previously faced each other on 14 occasions in IPL history. While Sunrisers Hyderabad have won 9 matches, Delhi have only five wins.
 
 
Delhi Capitals Team News: 
 
Delhi Capitals defeated Rajasthan Royals in their last league match but this exposed a weak link in the otherwise strong team. Playing at the home ground in Ferozshah Kotla, the team restricted Rajasthan to 115/8 in 20 overs. However, the chase was not easy as Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan and the skipper Shreyas Iyer were dismissed early. Rishabh Pant's 53 helped the team avoid defeat.
 
A silver lining for Delhi is their record in away matches. Although the side will miss the services of Kagiso Rabada, who has scalped maximum wickets in IPL 2019, they have the experience of Ishant Sharma, Trent Boult and Amit Mishra.
 

Delhi Capitals. Photo: PTI

Keemo Paul and Sherfane Rutherford have been handy in middle overs, while Axar Patel will have to restrict batsmen from scoring to build some pressure.
 
“It has been a great tournament for us so far. We have managed to win nine matches in total, and have only lost five matches which have also been close encounters. Majority of the wins have also been convincing from the team, and I am really happy with the way the team has stepped up to the occasion," Shreyas Iyer said on Thursday.
 

Delhi have a problem. If one or two wickets fall early, the side just collapses. Although the side were able to avoid it in their last match, Hyderabad bowlers would look to exploit this weakness.