3 player battles to watch out for in DC vs KKR, Match 16 of IPL 2024 ft. David Warner vs Mitchell Starc

Delhi Capitals host Kolkata Knight Riders in the 16th match of IPL 2024 at the YSR Rajasekhara Reddy Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, April 3.

DC are playing their first two home games this season in Vizag owing to the wear and tear their home ground of Feroz Shah Kotla (now renamed Arun Jaitley Stadium) in New Delhi has undergone owing to the WPL.

This game will witness a lot of high-octane clashes given the quality on offer among both teams. We can expect a lot of fireworks to come our way since both teams will be keen on picking up the two points on offer.

In this listicle, we bring to you the three key player battles to watch out for in this game:

#1. David Warner vs Mitchell Starc

Perhaps the biggest clash in this game will be the one between David Warner and Mitchell Starc.

Warner, who is one of the finest batters in this format of the game despite having retired from Tests and ODIs, will come up against his compatriot Starc, who will operate with the new ball for KKR.

Starc was purchased by KKR for big bucks to fill in the much-needed role of swinging the new ball at pace.

The left-arm seamer is expected to take the ball away from Warner in this game, and the latter will have to use his feet well to counter the swing.

Warner has of late developed the habit of playing merely with his hands and with minimal footwork, but he will be tested heavily against Starc.

#2. Rishabh Pant vs Sunil Narine

The return of Rishabh Pant has been talked about often enough whenever Delhi Capitals have been mentioned.

On Wednesday, he will be up against the wily Sunil Narine, who will try to turn the ball away from him and lure him into playing shots that he normally wouldn't.

Pant needs to be careful when tackling Narine as the latter has tonnes of experience under his belt.

The Trinidadian also has a lot of variety up his sleeves which he can bring forth at the sound of a bugle.

Pant will have the big responsibility of sprucing up the DC middle-order when he walks out to bat in Vizag on Wednesday.

Having scored 51 in the previous game against Chennai Super Kings at the same venue, the wicketkeeper-batter will be high on confidence.

#3. Mukesh Kumar vs Phil Salt

DC seamer Mukesh Kumar has breathed fire in most of the spells that he has bowled in this edition of the IPL.

On Wednesday, he will have the good fortune of testing his skills out against a certain Phil Salt, who has been fearsome at the top of the order for KKR.

Mukesh, who can get the ball to seam both ways after pitching, will be a real threat to reckon with on Wednesday, and is a big asset for his captain Rishabh Pant.

Salt, on the other hand, is known to throw caution to the wind whenever he walks out to bat and enthral spectators with his gleeful strokemaking.

The Englishman, however, has to be a tad circumspect when he faces the Indian seamer as the latter can make the ball talk on a good day.