Indian T20 League, the most-watched cricket league in the world, usually sets explosive batting and powerful hitting as the centre of attention. What the fans tend to overlook, though, is the fact that bowlers are actually the trump cards, who are equally capable of dictating the pace of the game.

Since its inception in 2008, the league has seen some of the most breathtaking bowling performances and these five players dominate the list of tournament’s all-time top wicket-takers.

Most wickets in Indian T20 League

5. Ravichandran Ashwin 

Having been loyal to just one Indian T20 League side, the right-arm off-break bowler has notched 180 wickets in 177 games at an average of 25.39. The lead spinner for team Kolkata is also one of the few bowlers in the league with seven four-wicket hauls to his name.

4. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Playing for the Hyderabad franchise in the 2024 season of the Indian T20 League, India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been a vital cog for this team. In the course of 176 matches across seasons, Bhuvneshwar has scalped 181 wickets at an average of 27.23 and an economy rate of 7.56.

3. Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo, who is one of the two players to have won the Purple Cap twice in the league, started his career with Mumbai before moving to MS Dhoni-led Chennai in 2011. Having played 14 seasons, the West Indies cricketer picked 183 wickets in 161 matches while holding an economy of 8.38.

2. Piyush Chawla

Having played for Punjab from 2008 till 2013, leg-spinner Piyush Chawla was roped in by Kolkata in 2014, and he performed well for them before joining Team Mumbai. In 192 matches so far, Chawla surpasses Bravo's record to have scalped 192 wickets. He holds an average of 26.6 and an economy rate of 7.96.

1. Yuzvendra Chahal

The fourth Indian spinner in this top five, no bowler has taken more wickets in the Indian T20 League than Yuzvendra Chahal. The tricky right-arm spinner boasts plenty of variations and can turn the ball a long way. In 160 games so far, he's taken 205 wickets at an impressive average of 22.45 and an economy of 7.84.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Manjunath Kiran

The Dharamshala Cricket Stadium is a picturesque international cricket stadium located in Dharamshala hill station of Himachal Pradesh, India.

Also known as the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (abbreviated as the HPCA Stadium), the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium is considered to be one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world.

Established in 2003, the world-class venue has a seating capacity of 23,000. 

Situated at an altitude of 1,457 m above sea level and overlooked by the snow-capped Himalayan mountains in the background, the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium staged its first international match, a One Day International (ODI) played between India and England in 2013. Since then, the stadium has hosted 10 T20Is, nine ODIs and two Test matches so far. 

Known for being the abode of spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Dharamshala has been the home ground for Himachal Pradesh cricket team and also for Team Punjab in the Indian T20 League. The HPCA stadium has also hosted several domestic matches including Ranji Trophy and few Indian T20 League matches.

Let’s have a closer look at the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium T20 records and stats.

Dharamshala Cricket Stadium T20 records and stats

Highest total

Team Punjab holds the record for the highest total at the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium in T20 cricket. During an Indian T20 League match in 2011, the Adam Gilchrist-led Punjab posted 232/2 in their 20 overs against Team Bangalore. Captain Adam Gilchrist led from the front as he slammed a 55-ball 106 along with contributions from Shaun Marsh (79 not out) to post a record T20 total at the venue. In reply, Team Bangalore were bundled out for 121 in 17 overs as Punjab won the match by 111 runs. 

Lowest total

The Ireland cricket team registered the lowest total at the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium in the T20 format. In a rain-curtailed six-over match, Ireland could only manage 47/7 in reply to Netherlands�?59/5 during the World T20 First Round Group A match in 2016. Meanwhile, the Punjab cricket team recorded the lowest total at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in domestic T20 cricket. Chasing 128, Punjab were bowled out for 101 in 19.3 overs against Jammu & Kashmir in an Inter State Twenty-20 Tournament match in 2017. Earlier, J&K posted 127/7 in their allotted overs to register a 26-run victory.

Most runs

Australian cricketer Shaun Marsh scored the most runs at the venue in T20 cricket. Representing Team Punjab in the Indian T20 League, the swashbuckling left-handed batter amassed 334 runs in seven matches at an average of 66.80 and a strike rate of 142.73. Marsh slammed three fifties at this venue in T20 cricket. Former Team Punjab captain Adam Gilchrist features second on the list with 295 runs in eight matches.

Most wickets

Veteran Indian spinner Piyush Chawla has bagged the most wickets at this cricket ground in the T20 format. Playing for Team Punjab in the Indian T20 League, the leg-spinner scalped 10 wickets in nine T20 matches at an average of 18.23 and an economy of 7.18. Pacer Sandeep Sharma is second on the list with 10 scalps in seven T20 games at this venue. Having represented the likes of Punjab, Rajasthan in the Indian T20 League and Punjab in domestic cricket, Sandeep bowled at an impressive economy of 6.71 and an average of 18.80.

Highest individual score

Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma share the record for the highest individual score at the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium in T20 cricket. Opening the batting, former Team Punjab skipper Gilchrist smashed 106 off 55 balls against Team Bangalore during an Indian T20 League match in 2011. His knock was laced with eight fours and nine sixes. Rohit Sharma also scored a 66-ball 106 in the first T20I of South Africa’s tour of India in 2015. Rohit’s knock included 12 fours and five maximums. 

Best bowling figures

India spinner Amit Mishra has the best bowling figures at this venue in the T20 format. Playing for his former side Team Deccan in the Indian T20 League, the leg-spinner registered match-winning figures of 4/9 against Team Punjab in 2011. Defending 198, Mishra dismissed Ryan McLaren, Mandeep Singh, Ryan Harris and Praveen Kumar to help bowl out Punjab for 116 in 19 overs. Earlier, Deccan posted 198/2 in their allotted overs.

Highest partnership

Team Punjab’s Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh hold the record for the highest partnership at the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium in T20 cricket. During an Indian T20 League match in 2011, Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh forged a brilliant 206-run partnership for the second wicket against Team Bangalore. Gilchrist hammered 106 while Marsh scored 79 not out to power Punjab to 232/2 in their 20 overs. Punjab later skittled out Bangalore for 121 to register a 111-run victory.

Photo credit: Alamy

The Arun Jaitley Stadium is one of the world's oldest cricket grounds located in New Delhi, India.

Established in 1883, the stadium was earlier known as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium and is the second oldest international cricket stadium in India after the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Located near the Kotla Fort, the  Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium was renamed to Arun Jaitley Stadium in September 2019 in memory of former Finance Minister of India and former Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Arun Jaitley. 

The Arun Jaitley Stadium is the home ground of the Delhi cricket team and Delhi franchise in the Indian T20 League.

The stadium hosted its first international match, a Test between India and West Indies, in November 1948. Since then, the venue has staged 35 Tests, 31 ODIs and seven T20Is.

Apart from international matches, it has also staged several Indian T20 League matches and other T20 matches in domestic as well as at club levels.

Let’s have a closer look at the Arun Jaitley Stadium T20 records and stats.

Arun Jaitley Stadium T20 records and stats

Highest total

Team Hyderabad holds the record for the highest total at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in T20 cricket. During an Indian T20 League match in 2024, the Pat Cummins-led Hyderabad posted a mammoth 266/7 in their 20 overs against Team Delhi. Put into bat, Hyderabad rode on fifties from Travis Head (89) and Shahbaz Ahmed (59 not out), along with contributions from Abhishek Sharma (46) and Nitish Reddy (37) to post a record T20 total at the venue. In reply, Delhi were bowled out for 199 in 19.1 overs as Hyderabad won the game by 67 runs.

Lowest total

Team Delhi registered the lowest total at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the T20 format. Chasing 213, Delhi were bundled out for 66 in 13.4 overs by Team Mumbai during an Indian T20 League encounter in 2017. Karun Nair top-scored for Delhi with 21 off 15 balls. For Mumbai, Harbhajan Singh and Karn Sharma bagged three wickets each while Lasith Malinga took two scalps. Earlier, the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai posted 212/3 in their 20 overs courtesy half-centuries from Kieron Pollard (63 not out) and Lendl Simmons (66). Mumbai won by 146 runs in Delhi.

Most runs

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag scored the most runs at the venue in T20 cricket. Between 2007 and 2015, the flamboyant right-handed batter amassed 1,199 runs in 40 matches at an average of 31.55 and a strike rate of 158.80. He slammed nine fifties at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in cricket’s shortest format. Sehwag represented the likes of the Indian cricket team, Team Delhi and Punjab in the Indian T20 League as well as the Delhi cricket team in domestic cricket at this venue.

Most wickets

Veteran spinner Amit Mishra has scalped the most wickets at this cricket ground in the T20 format. Representing the likes of Team Deccan, Team Delhi and Team Hyderabad in the Indian T20 League as well as the Haryana cricket team in domestic cricket at this venue, the leg-spinner bagged 76 wickets in 60 matches at an average of 19.28 and an economy of 7.03. His best T20 bowling figures at the Arun Jaitley Stadium is 5/17 against Team Deccan in Indian T20 League 2008. Umesh Yadav is second on the list with 31 wickets in 30 matches.  

Highest individual score

Chris Gayle and Rishabh Pant hold the record for the highest individual score at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in T20 cricket. Opening the batting, former Bengaluru opener Chris Gayle smashed 128 not out off just 62 balls against Delhi in an Indian T20 League match in 2012. Later in 2018, Delhi wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant equalled the record after he slammed 128 not out off 63 balls against Hyderabad in an Indian T20 League match.

Best bowling figures

Former Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga registered the best bowling figures at this venue in the T20 format. Former Mumbai fast bowler Lasith Malinga recorded magnificent figures of 3.4-1-13-5 against Delhi during an Indian T20 League encounter in 2011. Malinga dismissed David Warner, Unmukt Chand, Venugopal Rao, Morne Morkel and Ashok Dinda to help bowl out Delhi for 95 in 17.4 overs. Delhi later successfully chased down the required target in 16.5 overs as they won the match by eight wickets. Apart from Malinga, Amit Mishra, P Saravana Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat and Nischal Gaur have scalped five wicket-hauls in the T20 format at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Highest partnership

Team Bangalore’s Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli hold the record for the highest partnership at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in T20 cricket. During an Indian T20 League match in 2012, Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli forged an unbeaten 204-run partnership for the second wicket against Team Delhi. While Gayle slammed 128 not out, Kojli remained unbeaten on 73 to power Bangalore to 215/1 in their 20 overs. Bangalore later restricted Delhi to 194/9 in their allotted overs to win the match by 21 runs.

Highest successful chase

Team Mumbai holds the record for the highest successful chase at this venue against Team Chennai during an Indian T20 League match in 2021. Chasing a target of 219, Mumbai rode on Kieron Pollard’s unbeaten 34-ball 87 along with contributions from Quinton de Kock (38), Rohit Sharma (35) and Krunal Pandya (32) to chase down the target with four wickets in hand. Earlier, Moeen Ali (58) and Faf du Plessis (50) powered Chennai to 218/4 in their 20 overs.

Photo credit: Alamy

Amit Mishra is the leading bowler with the most hat-tricks in Indian T20 League history.

The former Delhi spinner has registered three hat-tricks in his 14-year career that, at this point, seems done as he went unsold in the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auctions.

Amit Mishra claimed his first hat-trick against Team Deccan in the inaugural edition of the Indian T20 League, taking the wickets of Ravi Teja, Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh.

His next two hat-tricks in the tournament came in 2011 (vs Team Punjab) and 2013 (vs Team Pune).

Yuvraj Singh is second on the list for most hat-tricks in Indian T20 League. The all-rounder’s two hat-tricks are of major importance in the competition’s history as he is the only player to register two hat-tricks in a single campaign.

After his hat-trick against Bangalore on May 1, 2009, the former Indian all-rounder took just 16 days to grab his second career hat-trick against Team Deccan.

Lakshmipathy Balaji is the first player to ever take a hat-trick in the Indian T20 League. The former India pacer grabbed his maiden - and only - hat-trick off the final three deliveries of the meeting against Punjab in 2008 to lead Chennai to an 18-run victory.

Balaji’s pace partner Makhaya Ntini would be the first overseas player with a hat-trick in Indian T20 League history. The South African pacer initially dismissed Sourav Ganguly off the final ball of his third over and then plucked out Debabrata Das (27) and David Hussey (0) when he came to bowl the final over of his spell in the 16th over.

Yuzvendra Chahal is the latest bowler with a hat-trick in the Indian T20 League. The Rajasthan spinner dismissed Kolkata’s Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Mavi and Pat Cummins in quick succession to help his side return to winning ways in the 2022 edition.

In all, there are 18 bowlers who have taken a hat-trick in the Indian T20 League.

Interestingly, Dwayne Bravo, who now boasts of most wickets in Indian T20 League history, has never taken a hat-trick in the tournament.

Most hat-tricks in Indian T20 League

Player	No. of hat-tricks
Amit Mishra	3
Yuvraj Singh	2
Lakshmipathy Balaji	1
Makhaya Ntini	1
Yuzvendra Chahal	1

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

Right-handed batsman Robin Uthappa has represented the Indian cricket team in the T20 format and played for several franchises in the Indian T20 League.

The 35-year-old was part of the Indian team that won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007. Uthappa was the first Indian to score a fifty in a T20I match which he registered against arch-rivals Pakistan in the T20 World Cup in South Africa. 

However, the Karnataka-born cricketer couldn’t retain his place in the Indian team and last played a T20I for India against Zimbabwe in 2015. 

In 13 T20Is, Uthappa scored 249 runs at an average of 24.90 and a strike rate of 118.

While the wicket-keeper batsman had a short international career, Uthappa has been an integral member of several franchises in the Indian T20 League. He has played for Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Kolkata, Rajasthan and now Chennai. 

Uthappa was instrumental in Kolkata claiming two Indian T20 League titles in 2012 and 2014. He formed a formidable partnership with former Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir, which helped them win several matches.

Uthappa has amassed 4,607 runs in 189 Indian T20 League matches at an average of 27.92 and strike rate of 129.99. 

However, Uthappa has often been criticised for a slow strike rate and struggled against slow bowlers as he prefers balls coming onto the bat.

Bowlers who dismissed Robin Uthappa the most in T20 cricket

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has dismissed Robin Uthappa six times in T20 cricket - the most by any bowler in cricket’s shortest format. 

 

Apart from Ashwin, medium-pacer Ashish Reddy, leg-spinner Amit Mishra, Mumbai pacer Dhawal Kulkarni and former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan are some of the bowlers who have troubled Uthappa in T20s. 

 

Bowler	Dismissals
Ravichandran Ashwin	6
Ashish Reddy	4
Amit Mishra	4
Dhawal Kulkarni	3
Irfan Pathan	3
Iqbal Abdullah	4
Albie Morkel	3
Kieron Pollard	3
Karan Sharma	3
Murali Kartik	3

Featured photo: PUNIT PARANJPE /Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP

One of the most experienced spinners in the country, Amit Mishra made his debut for India back in 2003 against South Africa. The leg-spinner rose to prominence in the inaugural edition of the Indian T20 League following his hat-trick against Hyderabad at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

He ended that spell with figures of 5/17 which is his best bowling performance in T20 cricket to date.

Indian T20 League career

Second on the list of leading wicket-takers in the Indian T20 League, the 38-year-old has 166 wickets in 154 matches, only four behind Sri Lankan pace sensation Lasith Malinga. Mishra is also the only player in the history of the Indian T20 League to have claimed three hat-tricks. 

Plying his trade for Delhi in the first three seasons of the Indian T20 League, Amit Mishra had a fruitful start, picking up 42 wickets in 31 matches at an economy of 6.91. He later featured for the Hyderabad franchise and took his second and third hat-trick in 2011 and 2013 respectively. Between 2011 to 2014, the leg-spinner notched 60 wickets across 55 games.

However, despite establishing himself as one of India’s top spin bowlers in the league, the Purple Cap for the player with the highest wickets in a single edition of the Indian T20 League has always eluded him.

That said, Amit Mishra has troubled the best batsmen in the world with his guile and tenacity to perform even on docile surfaces. 

Batsmen dismissed most number of times by Amit Mishra in T20 cricket 

Amit Mishra has got Rohit Sharma out a record eight times in T20 cricket with seven of those dismissals coming in the Indian T20 League.

Here are the other batsmen dismissed the most number of times by Amit Mishra in T20 cricket. 

No.	Batsmen	Number of Dismissals
1.	Rohit Sharma	8
2.	Shane Watson	6
3.	Mandeep Singh	5
4.	Glenn Maxwell	5
5.	Ravindra Jadeja	4
6.	Robin Uthappa	4
7.	Suresh Raina	4

Featured photo: Sajjad Hussain / AFP

Veteran spinner Amit Mishra picked his fourth four-wicket haul in the Indian T20 League on Tuesday as Delhi pipped defending champions Mumbai by six wickets. 

Restricting a batting-heavy side like Mumbai was always going to be an uphill task but Mishra, playing in only his fifth Indian T20 League game since last year, restricted their batting to confine Mumbai to just 137/9.

At 70/2 inside eight overs, Delhi needed a wicket given that Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma was in full swing. In came Mishra, who had conceded 10 runs in his opening over, and changed the face of the match by dismissing Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya in the last three deliveries of his second over.

Knowing that Rohit goes for big shots, the spinner worked smartly. In the fourth ball of his second over, Mishra bowled wider outside the off stump knowing that the Mumbai batsman will step out of the crease. With the ball being delivered at just 79kms per hour, Rohit had to reach out for the ball. He connected poorly and holed out to Steve Smith at long-on.

This was the seventh time in his Indian T20 League career that Mishra dismissed Rohit Sharma, the joint-most dismissals by a bowler against a batsman. Sunil Narine and Vinay Kumar have each dismissed Rohit on six occasions.

The veteran spinner has bowled 91 deliveries to the Mumbai opener and has conceded just 87 runs in the process.

Rohit Sharma vs Amit Mishra in Indian T20 League
Runs	Balls faced	Wickets	Average	Strike rate
87	91	7	12.42	95.6

Rohit averages a mere 12.42 and has a strike rate of just 95.6 against Amit Mishra, against a career average of 31 and strike rate of 130.

There are only two bowlers apart from Mishra who have dismissed a batsman on seven occasions in the India T20 League. Retired bowler Zaheer Khan holds this record against MS Dhoni and Sandeep Sharma carries this figure against Bangalore captain Virat Kohli.

Meanwhile, there was more to come from Mishra in the game. After getting better of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, the spinner got the wickets of Ishan Kishan and Kieron Pollard to bridge the gap between him and the all-time leading wicket-taker of the league, Lasith Malinga.

Amit Mishra was named player of the match as he ended the innings with 4/24, the best bowling figures by a Delhi bowler vs Mumbai.

The 38-year-old is now just six wickets away from equalling Malinga’s tally of 170 wickets. But he says that he is not focused on any record at the moment.

“I have never focused on breaking Lasith Malinga’s record of being the highest wicket-taker in the Indian T20 League. It would feel really nice to break that record soon and the main focus is that Delhi should win. So that’s the goal for me,�?Mishra told Prithvi Shaw in a video posted by Indian T20 League.

Featured photo: AFP / Punit Paranjpe

After an encouraging win over three-time Indian T20 League champions Chennai in their opening match, Delhi will be taking on Rajasthan in the seventh match of the tournament on Thursday, April 15, at the Wankhede Stadium.

Rajasthan might have lost their season-opener against Punjab, but their fans will be waiting with bated breath to see Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag at the crease again. For Delhi, a rejuvenated Prithvi Shaw hogged the limelight with a quickfire 72 against MS Dhoni’s men.

While the biggest draw of the game will be the coming together of debuting Indian T20 League captains Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant, Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson will be sweating to find an alternative option for their star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who will now miss the rest of the Indian T20 League season with a broken finger.

Rajasthan vs Delhi full squads

Rajasthan: Sanju Samson (captain/wicket-keeper), Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh

Delhi: Rishabh Pant (captain and wicket-keeper), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod (wicket-keeper), Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings

Rajasthan vs Delhi playing XI predictions

Despite the unfortunate and untimely injury of Ben Stokes, Rajasthan have some interesting options to replace the English star. Stokes�?batting position for Rajasthan (as an opener) has been a source of debate for quite some time now with many suggesting Jos Buttler take that role.

Stokes�?injury provides Rajasthan with an opportunity to experiment. David Miller can come down in the middle order to provide late fireworks.

Samson deployed as many as eight bowlers against a batting-heavy Punjab side who put up a target of 222. Delhi are a different team altogether and Rajasthan are expected to continue with the same bowling combination of three pacers and two spinners with Rahul Tewatia getting more overs.

While Delhi aren’t expected to experiment with a winning XI from the last game, the management just cannot keep superstar bowler Kagiso Rabada on the bench when he is available. Tom Curran conceded 40 runs in four overs against and the English bowler is expected to be benched this match.

Rajasthan predicted XI: Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Manan Vohra, Sanju Samson (captain), David Miller, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Shreyas Gopal, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

Delhi predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (captain and wicketkeeper), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan

Rajasthan vs Delhi head-to-head in Indian T20 League

Interestingly, Rajasthan and Delhi have been very evenly matched in their encounters so far. The two teams have clashed 22 times in the Indian T20 League so far, with each winning 11 times.

The head-to-head remains relatively even at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, with Rajasthan winning four of their nine matches at the venue and Delhi winning four of their 10 matches at the venue.

Rajasthan vs Delhi: Match result prediction

It is evident from the head-to-head record that neither Delhi nor Rajasthan stand as clear favourites to win Thursday’s game. However, in terms of team combination, momentum, and most importantly, the think tank, Delhi edges Rajasthan in the fixture.

Having a shrewd and veteran tactician like Ricky Ponting at the helm calling the shots and picking the team combination, Rishabh Pant will have little to worry about apart from his batting against any opponents whatsoever. Rajasthan’s Kumar Sangakkara might have been a great player himself, but his inexperience to manage teams in the Indian T20 League will remain a disadvantage at this stage for the team.

Moreover, Ben Stokes�?exit would be a blow that Rajasthan could take some time to recover from.

Best performers in Rajasthan vs Delhi

Top tip: Best batsmen

Even if Ben Stokes hadn't been injured ahead of the Delhi clash, there was a high chance Rajasthan kept South African pinch hitter David Miller in the squad. The middle-order batsman has garnered 322 runs against Delhi in 14 matches at a strike rate of 115.82.

Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan will be the biggest threat for Rajasthan on Thursday. The southpaw has amassed a massive 547 runs against them in 19 matches with six half-centuries against Rajasthan alone.

Top tip: Best bowlers

Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has been Rajasthan's best bet with the ball against Delhi so far, as he accumulated 16 wickets in 8 matches. However, given the team combination, Shreyas Gopal could be handy for Sanju Samson as the spinner has previously taken five wickets against Delhi.

Delhi's old man Amit Mishra could be the star of the show on Thursday, given his exceptional record against Rajasthan. The spinner has scalped 30 wickets against Rajasthan at a strike rate of 14.

Top tip: All-rounders and wicket-keepers

While neither of the teams �?Rajasthan or Delhi �?have seen any exceptional performances from their all-rounders so far, Rajasthan’s Chris Morris is expected to get better with every game. The highest-priced player of the Indian T20 League 2021 took two wickets against Punjab.

For Delhi, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis remains their best hope. Though the Australian went wicketless against Chennai in the last match, his three boundaries coming down the order helped Delhi seal off the victory.

Rishabh Pant trumps Jos Buttler behind the stumps any day, especially in Indian conditions. He is currently the Indian cricket team’s first-choice wicket-keeper and has been acquainted with Rabada and Nortje’s pace in the Indian T20 League as well.

Buttler, on the other hand, wasn’t given the wicket-keeping duties in the first match with Sanju Samson taking the onus upon himself, a move that has been questioned by Michael Vaughan.

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Manjunath Kiran

Team Chennai will take on Team Delhi in the second match of the Indian T20 League 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, April 10.

Under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Chennai have won the Indian T20 League title three times before in 2010, 2011 and 2018. However, the franchise failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2020 edition for the first time in their history - finishing seventh in the eight-team competition. 

Despite finishing at the penultimate spot in the points table last year, the Chennai team management retained most of their players. The franchise has reinforced their squad by adding England all-rounder Moeen Ali, Karnataka all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham and Team India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara. 

Chennai will look to turn things around as they return to familiar conditions in India and hope to clinch their fourth title this year.

On the other hand, 2020 finalists Delhi suffered a massive blow ahead of the tournament as their captain Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to a shoulder injury. The franchise appointed swashbuckling wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant as their new leader.

Pant will try to replicate his idol MS Dhoni and lead Delhi to their maiden Indian T20 League title this year.

Meanwhile, Delhi have bolstered their squad by roping in former Australia captain Steve Smith, England batsman Sam Billings and India pacer Umesh Yadav.

Chennai vs Delhi full squads

Chennai: MS Dhoni (captain and wicket-keeper), Suresh Raina, Narayan Jagadeesan (wicket-keeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad, KM Asif, Karn Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Deepak Chahar, Faf du Plessis, Shardul Thakur, Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, Lungi Ngidi, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Imran Tahir, Robin Uthappa, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Harisankar Reddy, K Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishaanth, R Sai Kishore, Jason Behrendorff

Delhi: Rishabh Pant (captain and wicket-keeper), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod (wicket-keeper), Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings

Chennai vs Delhi playing XI predictions

Both Chennai and Delhi are expected to retain the core of their playing XI from the last season of the Indian T20 League. Chennai will be boosted by the return of their all-time leading run-scorer Suresh Raina in the playing XI. The franchise will also hope that Dwayne Bravo remains injury-free as he has been an integral member of the team since 2011. Meanwhile, Moeen Ali is expected to make his debut for Chennai on Saturday.

On the other hand, Delhi will miss the services of their two South African pacers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, who reached India on April 6 and are currently undergoing a seven-day quarantine. The England duo of Chris Woakes and Tom Curran is expected to replace Rabada and Nortje for their encounter against Chennai.

Chennai predicted XI: Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (captain and wicket-keeper), Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur

Delhi predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (captain and wicket-keeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Chris Woakes, Tom Curran, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma

Chennai vs Delhi head-to-head in Indian T20 League

The three-time Indian T20 League champions, Chennai have a clear edge over Delhi in the head-to-head record. Both the sides have faced each other 23 times in the high-profile league, with Chennai winning 15 while losing eight.

Chennai have won 50 per cent of their games at the Wankhede Stadium, winning seven of the 14 games. On the other hand, Delhi have only registered three wins in nine encounters at the same venue.

Chennai vs Delhi: Match result prediction

Delhi have one of the most balanced sides in the tournament this year and they will be one of the contenders for the title. With their opening encounter being played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the track is expected to assist strokeplay, favouring the strong batting line-up of Delhi. Furthermore, spinners might not get much turn off the surface, which will go against Chennai. Delhi will start as favourites against Chennai in the second match of the Indian T20 League 2021.

Best performers in Chennai vs Delhi

Top tip: Best batsmen

Chennai’s all-time leading run-scorer Suresh Raina has a good record against Delhi, amassing 607 runs in 25 matches at a strike rate of 133.40. The 34-year-old is tipped to score the most runs against Rishabh Pant’s team in the second match of the Indian T20 League 2021.

On the other hand, Delhi will depend on their opener Shikhar Dhawan, who has a stellar record against Chennai, accumulating 777 runs in 23 matches at an average of 40.89, with one ton and six fifties to his name.

Top tip: Best bowlers

Chennai all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will be the bowler to watch out for against Delhi at the Wankhede. The 37-year-old has bagged 18 wickets against the same opposition in 18 matches at an average of 23.83.

For Delhi, veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra is tipped to be the wrecker-in-chief against Chennai. Mishra has claimed 13 wickets in 15 innings at an average of 28.76 and bowling at an economy of just under seven.

Top tip: All-rounders and wicket-keepers

It will be a battle between the master and the apprentice when MS Dhoni’s Chennai face off against Rishabh Pant-led Delhi. For a long time, Rishabh Pant was hailed as MS Dhoni’s long-time successor as India's first-choice wicket-keeper. Recently, Pant has been in great form both with the bat and the gloves as he helped India win the Test series in Australia and against England at home. On the other hand, MS Dhoni hasn’t played any competitive cricket since the last edition of the Indian T20 League. On current form, Pant is the preferred wicket-keeper for any side.

Delhi all-rounder Marcus Stoinis was one of the standout players in the last edition of the Indian T20 League. The 31-year-old had amassed 352 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 148.52. Stoinis also scalped 13 wickets at an average of 21.76.

On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja has fully recovered from his injury, which will be a massive boost for Chennai. Jadeja has a staggering record in the Indian T20 League, scoring 2159 runs and claiming 114 wickets in 184 matches. The 32-year-old all-rounder is a match-winner for any side.

Featured photo: BCCI

After years of hits and misses, Team Delhi reached their maiden finals of the Indian T20 League in the 2020 edition but finished as the second-best. This was seen as a sign of rejuvenation for a team that often stalled when a winning opportunity knocked on the door.

With Rishabh Pant taking over as Delhi captain in place of the injured Shreyas Iyer, onlookers are curious if the franchise can indeed end their title drought this year. However, considering their performances last term - where they lost just two league games in the first nine before winning one in the last five, consistency is something the 23-year-old will demand from his team-mates.

Delhi kick off their Indian T20 League 2021 season against Chennai at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, April 10, and upon closer look of their squad depth, it is safe to say the franchise can possibly go the distance in the latest edition.

Team Delhi squad

Shreyas Iyer’s absence is a massive blow to Delhi’s batting strategy in the Indian T20 League but the team can somehow fill the void with some powerful knocks from Steve Smith - acquired for a meagre fee of Rs 2.20 crores.

The 2020 finalists retained 19 players and released six players - which included the likes of Alex Carey, Keemo Paul and Jason Roy - ahead of the February auctions.

 

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With a purse of Rs 13.40 crores, Delhi weren’t expected to do much business but by adding Smith, Sam Billings (Rs 2 crores) and Umesh Yadav (Rs 1 crore), the team bolstered their options in the batting and pace bowling sector.

England all-rounder Tom Curran was the most expensive buy at Rs 5.25 crore and much will be expected from him in a pace line-up that consists of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma, besides the 33-year-old Yadav.

Team Delhi squad for Indian T20 League 2021: Shreyas Iyer (ruled out), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (captain and wicket-keeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, Manimaran Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings

Team Delhi strength and weakness

Strengths:

Delhi is one of the few teams whose batting line-up is quite intimidating, and their performances in the 2020 season showcased their intent to challenge for the title. The likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant will be charged with laying the foundations for match-winning totals.

 

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Prithvi Shaw, who had a forgettable campaign with Delhi last term, warmed up for the upcoming season with 800-plus runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and will look to prove his detractors wrong.

In Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, Delhi have some quality all-rounders who can chip in runs and also take wickets to place the tide of an Indian T20 League in their favour.

The middle-order batters had smashed 1290 runs last season, the most by batsmen in the #4 - #7 slot and the addition of Sam Billings should give an exciting injection to Delhi.

Weakness:

The presence of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma already made Delhi’s bowling attack something for opposition to fear. But, it is their tendency to leak runs in crucial periods - such as the death overs - which could ultimately cost them a win. They have conceded 595 runs in the powerplay overs - third-most by any team. Pant must devise an effective plan around his bowlers and see that his strengths in the batting and bowling departments are equally balanced.

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For Rishabh Pant, there isn’t a recognised wicket-keeper back-up for him in the Delhi team. Considering the new captain will have new responsibilities to shoulder, and fatigue likely to take a toll on him, the Ricky Ponting-coached team will have to shift their team dynamics should they give the keeping duties to Sam Billings.

Who can be the highest run-scorer for Team Delhi?

Rishabh Pant has had an enjoyable 2021 so far, with a string of match-winning performances in the recent series against England convincing the management to hand him the reigns of the Delhi captaincy. The 23-year-old has stacked 2079 runs in just 68 games at an average and strike rate of 35.23 and 151.97 respectively, a sign that he is prepared to anchor Delhi’s charge for a maiden Indian T20 League crown.

Who can be the highest wicket-taker for Team Delhi?

Looking up at Delhi’s bowling options, one can simply say the Kagiso Rabada will be the champion bowler for the team in the 2021 edition. However, those who have followed the league closely, Amit Mishra will be the leading contender to play a key role in the upcoming campaign. The 38-year-old, with 160 wickets in the T20 extravaganza, featured in three games last term before a finger injury ended his campaign. Mishra is on the cusp of two major milestones - 11 wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in the Indian T20 League and five matches to become the first Delhi player with 100 appearances in the cash-rich league.

Where will Team Delhi finish in Indian T20 League 2021?

Delhi’s current team roster is an indication that they could make it into the playoffs round at the very least, and the presence of experienced figures in Dhawan, Ashwin, Smith and Rahane will be influential to their cause. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to perfect execution of their strengths and that is something Rishabh Pant will need to work in tandem with head coach Ricky Ponting.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain