Rajasthan Royals (RR) will host Delhi Capitals (DC) in the ninth match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday, March 28. Led by captain Sanju Samson, the Royals started their IPL 2024 campaign in emphatic fashion as they defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at home by 20 runs on Sunday. With two points on the board, RR are at second place in the IPL 2024 standings.
On the other hand, Rishabh Pant-led Capitals will look to bounce back after a four-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Saturday.
As they are yet to open their account, DC currently sits at ninth position in the IPL 2024 standings.
Ahead of another enthralling IPL 2024 clash, we take a look at the predicted XIs of both sides.
RR predicted XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Flamboyant opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a quick 12-ball 24 against LSG in their opening match. Jaiswal hopes to ensure another blitzkrieg start against DC on Thursday.
Josh Butler
Swashbuckling England batsman Jos Buttler is expected to open the game for the Royals again. Buttler, who was dismissed cheaply against LSG, will look to score big and provide a perfect start for the inaugural IPL champions.
Sanju Samson (captain/wicketkeeper)
RR captain Sanju Samson played a match-winning knock in their IPL 2024 opener. Batting at number three, Sanju scored an unbeaten 82 off just 52 balls, taking RR to 193/4 in their 20 overs. His knock was peppered with three fours and six maximums. He will look to continue his scintillating form against DC.
Riyan Parag
Young Riyan Parag was once again a standout batsman for the Royals against LSG. Parag stitched an impressive 93-run stand with skipper Samson for the third wicket. The dashing right-handed batsman scored 43 off 29 balls, including one four and three sixes.
Shimron Hetmyer
West Indian batsman Shimron Hetmyer will retain his place in the Royals’ playing XI despite a failure in their opening match. The 27-year-old amassed 300 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 152.28 last season, while also maintaining an average of 37.50.
Dhruv Jurel
Dhruv Jurel impressed for the Royals against LSG in Jaipur. Batting at number six, Jurel smashed 20 runs off just 12 balls to propel RR to a strong total. He will look to continue his good form against a star-studded DC bowling line-up.
Ravichandran Ashwin
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was a bit expensive against Lucknow Super Giants. While Ashwin bagged the huge wicket of Marcus Stoinis, he conceded 35 runs in his quota of four overs. However, he will play a key role with a pair of left-handers in DC’s playing XI.
Sandeep Sharma
Experienced right-arm pacer Sandeep Sharma bowled brilliantly in RR’s opener. The Patiala-born cricketer took the huge wicket of LSG skipper KL Rahul as he finished with figures of 3-0-22-1 on Sunday. He will look to add to his score against DC.
Avesh Khan
India international Avesh Khan was economical for RR in their IPL 2024 opener. The 27-year-old right-arm fast bowler scored with some good overs and finished with figures of 3-0-21-0 on Sunday. He will look to pick some wickets in their upcoming encounter.
Trent Boult
New Zealand star pacer Trent Boult has been RR’s bowling spearhead since 2022. The left-arm fast bowler once again provided early breakthroughs for the Royals as he dismissed LSG’s Quinton de Kock and Devdutt Padikkal in his first two overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal has already taken 188 IPL wickets in just 146 matches. The right arm leg spinner started the new season on a good note once again as he bowled an effective spell against LSG. Chahal got the wicket of Deepak Hooda to finish with figures of 3-0-25-1.
Impact sub
Nandre Burger/Rovman Powell
DC predicted XI
David Warner
Australian star opening batsman David Warner will once again hold the key for DC in the batting department. Warner hit 29 runs off 21 balls against PBKS in their opening match. Interestingly, the left-hander is the greatest overseas run-getter of all time, with 6,426 runs in 177 matches.
Mitchell Marsh
For DC, Australian T20I captain Mitchell Marsh will open the innings with Warner. In their opening match, Marsh scored a blitzkrieg 12-ball 20 before falling to Arshdeep Singh. He will look to score big to cement his place in the Capitals starting XI.
Yes Hope
West Indian cricketer Shai Hope is expected to retain his place in DC’s starting XI. Batting at number three, Hope scored 33 runs off 25 balls against PBKS. His impressive knock included two fours and as many sixes.
Rishabh Pant (captain/wicketkeeper)
DC captain Rishabh Pant made a quiet comeback to cricket after 453 days. Pant came to bat at number four and scored a 13-ball 18 before being dismissed by Harshal Patel in the 13th over. During his brief stay at the crease, Pant hit some scintillating shots. On Thursday he will try to play longer against RR.
Ricky Bhui
Indian cricketer Ricky Bhui could get another chance after being dismissed cheaply against PBKS in their IPL 2024 opener. After seven deliveries, Bhui managed just three runs against Punjab in DC’s opening match. If he gets another chance, he will be eager to impress.
Tristan Stubbs
New recruit Tristan Stubbs was also back in the pavilion on Saturday for a low score on his DC debut. The South African cricketer, who was at number six, could only add five runs off eight balls he faced. He lost his wicket to PBKS leg-spinner Rahul Chahar. Stubbs will be ready to go against RR in Jaipur.
Axar Patel
Star all-rounder Axar Patel once again contributed with both bat and ball in DC’s opening match. Coming to bat at number 7, Axar scored 21 off just 13 balls, peppered with two fours and one six to guide his side to a fighting total. Later he threw an economical spell as he finished with figures of 4-0-25-0. Axar will aim to contribute to RR with few scalps.
Sumit Kumar
DC all-rounder Sumit Kumar made his IPL debut against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. Although Sumit failed to impress on his debut, he could get another chance against the Royals.
Kuldeep Yadav
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was DC’s main demolition player in their IPL 2024 opener. The 29-year-old took the wickets of Prabhsimran Singh and wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma to finish with brilliant figures of 4-0-20-2. Kuldeep could trouble the RR batters in Jaipur.
Khaleel Ahmed
Khaleel Ahmed was the other standout bowler for DC in their previous match. Khaleel got the new ball and he later ended his spell with important scalps. Despite being a bit expensive, the left-arm pacer removed Sam Curran and Shashank Singh to keep DC in the game. He will try to provide early breakthroughs against RR.
Mukesh Kumar
India international Mukesh Kumar is expected to replace the injured Ishant Sharma in DC’s starting XI on Thursday. The right-arm pacer scalped seven wickets in ten matches for the Capitals last season. Despite his high economy, Mukesh has a knack for picking wickets.
Impact sub
Abishek Porel/Vicky Ostwal
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