Delhi Capitals Likely Playing XI vs Gujarat Titans, IPL 2023: Will Anrich Nortje Mark His Return?

After losing their opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Delhi Capitals gear up for their first home game of the campaign, facing defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT). Delhi were of no match against Lucknow, losing by 50 runs but now face Gujarat in a bid to bring their campaign back on track. The David Warner-led franchise will be boosted by the return of Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi, however, only one of them is likely to be drafted into the playing XI.

In the bowling unit, DC did not have a single overseas name in the playing XI against LSG while David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rilee Rossouw and Rovman Powell took the four overseas spots. One of them will need to make way for either Nortje or Ngidi against Gujarat.

Against Lucknow, Delhi Capitals managed only 143 for 9 with David Warner (56 off 48 balls) fight hardly being any sort of consolation while chasing 194.

Wood (5/14 in 4 overs) bowled back-to-back lethal in-cutters at 147 clicks which Prithvi Shaw (12) and Mitchell Marsh (0) failed to even bring their respective bats down before the ball hit the 'wood' work.

In case of Sarfaraz Khan (4), his weakness against pacey short-pitched stuff is well documented and Wood directed one at his body, which could have blown his head off and he tried a non-existent ramp shot getting himself into a tangle and the easiest of catches was taken at fine-leg boundary.

From 41 for no loss to 48 for 3, it happened in a space of a couple of overs DC weren't able to make a comeback after Wood had destroyed their confidence with raw pace.

Skipper Warner and Rilee Rossouw (30 off 20 balls) did add 40 runs before a freak dismissal off Ravi Bishnoi's (2/31 in 4 overs) delivery brought about his downfall.

DC, on the day, didn't look the part as the momentum slipped out of their grasp, way too many times. The 16 sixes conceded by DC bowlers was a testimony to their inconsistency.

Delhi Capitals likely playing XI against Gujarat Titans: David Warner (c), Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Sarfaraz Khan (wk), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar

With PTI inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

Delhi Capitals Gujarat Titans Anrich Nortje IPL 2023 Cricket