As Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab get their IPL 2020 campaigns off the ground, individual face-offs make a part of the larger picture. The Delhi Capitals batting line-up would surely be hoping to get the better of the Kings XI Punjab bowling, and this is where the mercurial Prithvi Shaw can come across the dependable Mohammad Shami. The two players are likely to play critical roles in the line-up, so how they start will be crucial for the teams as well.
Shami has 40 wickets from 51 matches at an economy of 8.99, something that he will surely want to improve on.
On the other hand, Shaw, who fell a little short of the hype surrounding him as the next best thing in India colours, had 598 runs from 25 matches, and a strike-rate of over 141. When he hits it, the cricket ball stays hit. The problem is consistency.
For that matter, even Shami can at times be erratic, especially when he is striving for pace. He tends to spray the ball towards the pads, something that could cost dear against Shaw.
All in all, this one could be an enticing encounter. After all, IPL is all about hits and misses. Here's hoping for some fireworks.
Note: All stats courtesy iplt20.com