IPL 2020: DC vs KXIP Game Plan 1 – How big a threat will Ravichandran Ashwin be?

The second match of the IPL 2020 tournament between the blockbuster teams, Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab, could all be about match-ups. Here, we take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the second game of IPL 2020 – DC vs KXIP.

DC vs KXIP Game Plan – How will the Kings XI counter their former captain?

KXIP made some bold calls ahead of the season. The biggest one was deciding to let go of their captain, Ravichandran Ashwin, someone who has played 139 matches and has an astute cricketing brain. Now in their first match of the tournament, they will be up against their former captain, in a replica of the second match of IPL 2018.

KXIP in their top-order have two players who have struggled in general against Ashwin. Chris Gayle is one of them. Although he dominates all other types of bowling in the IPL, off-spin has always been a flaw in his game, as the ball turns away from the Jamaican. Against Ashwin in particular, he has faced 59 balls and been dismissed four times for 49 runs, including just one boundary. 36 of those deliveries have been dot balls and the southpaw scores at just 4.98 runs per over against India’s premier off-spinner.

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The other batsman is Mayank Agarwal, who has faced 26 deliveries from Ashwin. Agarwal has hit him for four 4s and two 6s, aggregating 39 runs with his more aggressive approach against Ashwin, but at the same time has lost his wicket on three occasions.

Although spinners generally bowl in the middle overs, Ravi Ashwin does not. In the earlier part of his career at CSK, he bowled 32% of his overs in the Powerplay itself. In fact, among the 21 spinners who have taken 40+ wickets in the IPL, only two have bowled a higher percentage of their balls within the Powerplay, and only one spinner has taken more percentage of their overall wickets in the Powerplay.

The Kings XI Punjab will be wary of the Ashwin threat, and with most of their batsmen having faced him regularly in the nets over the past two seasons, they should be able to counter him. Many experts have predicted a KXIP top-three of KL Rahul, Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal. Given that Ashwin is likely to open the bowling in the spinner-friendly Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the newly appointed Kings XI skipper – KL Rahul – should try to keep as much strike as possible against him, to shield Gayle.

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While KL Rahul has faced just 7 balls from Ashwin in his whole IPL career, he should be fairly confident at picking his variations. Also, for a minimum of 100 balls faced, KL Rahul is the second fastest scorer ever against off-break in the IPL, scoring at just above 10 runs per over. Hence, he can look to be his aggressive self against Ashwin, and still make the most of the fielding restrictions in the first six overs.