Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2020, Qualifier 2: DC, SRH A Win Away From Final

It will be a fresh day for a jittery Delhi Capitals and a high-flying Sunrisers Hyderabad as they clash in a virtual semifinal of IPL 2020 in Abu Dhabi today. The winning team of this match (Qualifier 2) will play defending champions Mumbai Indians in the final in Dubai on November 10. This is the third time that DC and SRH are meeting in this edition of the IPL. Sunrisers Hyderabad have won both times but that will count for nothing as tonight's game will determine whether Delhi can get one step closer to their elusive IPL title. Follow live cricket scores and live updates of DC vs SRH here. (LIVE SCORECARD | LIVE STREAMING)

PREVIEW

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals have taken different routes to reach this stage of the tournament. While Delhi Capitals went bust against Mumbai Indians in the first qualifier, Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator.

By virtue of finishing No.2 in the league standings, Delhi Capitals have a second chance to make the final and it remains to be seen if Shreyas Iyer's team can grab this opportunity. But it will not be easy against David Warner's team that is increasingly playing good all-round cricket. (POINTS TABLE)

Delhi Capitals have suffered a form slump at the most important stage of the tournament. Four straight defeats has sent Ricky Ponting's plans haywire and the Aussie head coach had sounded jittery because Iyer's team has not been able to execute the plans perfectly.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are playing well as a team. They are on a four-match winning streak. Even if they are swaeting on the fitness of Wriddhiman Saha, Warner has led the team admirably with impressive starts and smart decisions.

Saha had replaced Jonny Bairstow as Warner's opening partner. While his excellent keeping skills are a spinner's delight, Saha's classic batting approach has let Warner free his arms during the Powerplay. (RESULTS)  

SRH don't have the big hitters like Chris Gayle. What they have are two extremely competent batsmen who can mix caution and aggression in equal measure and keep the scoreboard ticking. That was evident during the Eliminator against RCB. But today, SRH will be up against a quality DC attack that has Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje in pace and Ravichandran Ashwin in spin.

Manish Pandey and Kane Richardson stitched small but crucial stands in a low-scoring contest. But the coup de grace was laid by West Indian captain Jason Holder, whose all-round skills have been god-sent to SRH.


SRH leg-spinner Rashid Khan has tormented Delhi Capitals batsmen in both matches earlier this season. (Photo: BCCI)

If Delhi Capitals have to make their first IPL final ever, they have to handle SRH's bowlers well. Rashid Khan has been successful in both games against DC this season. With figures of 3 for 14 and 3 for 7, the Afghan leg-spinner will have a psychological edge for sure.

But Delhi have enough experience in their team to handle such pressure games. And it has to start with Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane, who could replace Prithvi Shaw who failed in the last match against Mumbai Indians. Delhi have lost six of their last seven playoff/knockout games.