DC vs KKR Preview: Can Delhi Capitals escape the home blues of Kolkata Knight Riders?

New Delhi: Delhi Capitals take on Kolkata Knight Riders at home in a battle of survival Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday night. A win on Friday would keep both sides in contention for a playoff spot, while a defeat would push them to the brink of elimination. Both teams on display have struggled to decipher this high-octane pace intense pulsed light. However, the mood in the capital and the Cavaliers camp was in sharp contrast.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!After a promising start to the IPL season, the Capitals have lost their way, losing four of their last five games and slipping to seventh place in the table. In fact, their record at home was abysmal, winning just one game (the first match against Mumbai Indians) and losing four. “We have to win four of four games to have a chance to advance. So that becomes very important,” Capitals order hitter David Miller said.

Knight Riders, on the other hand, have rallied after a poor start and are gaining momentum after scoring a hat-trick in their last three games of the season, even though they are just one place behind the Capitals in the IPL standings.Inconsistency has been the bane of the Capitals and despite using 20 of their 25 players this season, the Axar Patel-led side has struggled to find the right combination.When their batting was successful, Capitals’ bowling was found wanting and when their bowlers managed to overwhelm their opponents, the batsmen struggled. ban opener Kuala Lumpur Rahul — who scored 445 runs in 10 games — and Tristan Stubbs, the Capitals’ other batsmen failed to shine. The batting failure in the last two home games will create a lot of trouble for the team management and they may consider the possibility of revamping the lineup against KKR.“I think batting-wise, obviously we didn’t do a good job. We were losing wickets in clusters. That puts us in a position where we have to rebuild and then try to get a competitive total,” said Miller, who has been left out of the lineup for the past two games.Even though their leading pacers Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi came together for the first time in the last game, the attack looked lackluster against Chennai Super Kings. If Axar Patel and slow bowling go against Kuldeep Yadav The Capitals could find themselves further backed into a corner if they fail to get their act together in the middle of the order and weaken the Knights’ batting lineup.The Cavaliers, meanwhile, have managed to dig themselves out of trouble and into playoff contention, thanks in large part to the performance of their pitching staff.