IPL 2021, CSK vs DC: 3 reasons why DC will win

Rishabh Pant's first assignment as Delhi Capitals (DC) captain sees him take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 2 of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Pant will be up against the man he has replaced in the Indian cricket team across formats - MS Dhoni. And the CSK skipper, who'll be seen in action for the first time since a disappointing IPL 2020 season, will have a worthy adversary opposite him.

DC and CSK are without a few key players who took part in the recent series between South Africa and Pakistan, but a tightly contested encounter beckons on the second matchday of IPL 2021.

DC, who finished 2nd last year and made the final for the first time in their history, should have the edge in the contest. Here are 3 reasons why DC will get their IPL 2021 campaign off to a winning start against CSK.

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#3 Key DC players are in excellent form

Ravichandran Ashwin

Shikhar Dhawan roared back to form for India in the recent ODI series against England. Prithvi Shaw scored over 850 runs in 8 Vijay Hazare Trophy games and led Mumbai to the trophy. Ravichandran Ashwin was the Man of the Series in India's Test triumph over England. Rishabh Pant is going through the biggest purple patch of his international career.

Heading into their first game of IPL 2021, key DC players are in supreme form. If they can replicate their performances from the last month over the course of the IPL, last year's finalists can go one step further and clinch the title that has eluded them so far. But in the short run, DC can get their first points on the board in IPL 2021 with a win over CSK.

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#2 DC have immense squad depth

Ishant Sharma

Although DC will be without regular captain Shreyas Iyer, pacers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, and all-rounder Axar Patel for the game against CSK, they have a number of backups waiting for their time in the limelight.

While Iyer can be replaced by former Australia captain and one of the best batsmen in the world, Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane adds great value to the team with his experience and reliability. Shimron Hetmyer is another option for DC and could play ahead of or alongside Smith.

Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are expected to step in for DC's South African pairing, while Amit Mishra will partner Ravichandran Ashwin in the spin attack instead of Axar Patel. The bowling attack is not only extremely experienced but also well-rounded.

DC's immense bench strength - Chris Woakes and Tom Curran are also among those in line to play against CSK - gives them the edge in their first IPL 2021 game.

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#1 A number of CSK players will be without match practice

MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina, who retired from international cricket last year, aren't active in the domestic circuit as well. Other key batsmen like Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja haven't played a lot of top-level cricket in the recent past due to various reasons.

Even some of CSK's overseas stars like Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir and Dwayne Bravo are either retired from some (or all) formats or haven't played for their countries in the recent past.

A number of CSK players will be without match practice in their first game of IPL 2021, and the same rust that plagued them last year could make another unwanted appearance. The ones who are in form, like Robin Uthappa, Sam Curran and Shardul Thakur, might have to shoulder the bulk of responsibility against DC.