Fresh from their two Super Overs thriller against Mumbai Indians (MI), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will square off against Delhi Capitals (DC) - a side against whom they earlier were involved in a Super Over-finish - in Match 38 of the Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

KXIP had their share of ups and downs in the tournament so far, but the KL Rahul-led unit held its nerves to seal two successive wins - first against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and then against MI.

On the other hand, DC have been one of the most consistent sides of the season and having won seven games out of nine, they are occupying the top spot in the points table. As they take on KXIP, Shreyas Iyer and Co will be looking to consolidate their position.

The last time these two sides squared off, they played out the IPL 2020’s first Super Over. While DC came out on top on that occasion, KXIP will be looking to secure their third win on the bounce.  

Here are the players who could change the course of the match:

Mohammad Shami

Mohammad Shami was brilliant with the ball in the Super Over against MI. The senior KXIP and India pacer defended five runs against Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma and gave KXIP one more shot to win the game. Earlier in the match, he had also picked two wickets. In their last game against DC, Shami was KXIP’s pick of the bowler, having scalped three wickets, and he will once again be someone that his side will bank on.

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan is coming into this game on the back of his maiden IPL hundred. The left-hander scored an unbeaten 101* against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to guide DC to a win. Before the CSK game, Dhawan had scored 57 and 69* against Rajasthan Royals (RR) and MI. The DC opener has been timing the ball well and his side will want him to continue his merry ways.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul continued his excellent run of form with the bat, scoring 77 against MI. The KXIP skipper is currently leading the batting charts in the IPL 2020 with 525 runs against his name from 9 matches. The right-hander has thus far scored five fifties and a hundred and he will be eager to lead from the front and help KXIP win against DC.

Axar Patel

Axar Patel had a night to remember with the bat as his three sixes in the last over against CSK powered DC to a win. After conceding just 23 runs with the ball, the left-hander hammered an unbeaten 21 off 5 balls. While he does not have big scores or four wicket hauls against his name, Axar has been vital for DC to keep things tight with the ball and scoring important runs.

Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada, the spearhead of the DC bowling attack, is at the top of the bowling charts with 19 wickets to show from nine matches. The right-arm pacer had taken two wickets when DC last faced KXIP and he will be looking to add a few more wickets to his tally and power his team to their eighth win of the season.

Wild Card

Deepak Hooda

Playing his second game for KXIP, Deepak Hooda scored a vital 23 not out off 16 balls before the game headed towards the multiple Super Overs. The right-hander, batting in the middle-order, will be looking to score a few more runs and contribute to his team’s winning cause. 

Stats

• Head to head at this venue:
  KXIP 0 – 1 DC
• KXIP at this venue: Played 6, Won 3, Lost 3
• DC at this venue: Played 6, Won 5, Lost 1

Approaching Milestones

• KL Rahul needs one six to complete 100 IPL sixes.
• Chris Gayle is 65 runs away from completing 1000 IPL runs for KXIP.
• Shikhar Dhawan requires 63 runs to complete 5000 IPL runs.
• Prithvi Shaw needs 6 fours to complete 100 IPL fours.