ADKR vs DBC 22nd Match Prediction

ADKR vs DBC Team Previews

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

The Knight Riders are the only team in the ILT20 who haven’t won a single match so far. They did manage to get a solitary point thanks to a washed-out match scheduled against the Gulf Giants. Nevertheless, they are at the bottom of the points table, trailing the 4th-placed Sharjah Warriors by 6 points.

With just 3 points to go for the Knight Riders including this one, they just have an academic chance to make it to the qualifiers.

The team has some of the best T20 players within their squad but they have failed to gel as a unit. Paul Stirling appears to be in good form as he scored his second half-century in the previous match. Andre Russell has contributed with both, the bat as well as the ball, scoring 141 runs and picking up 4 wickets.

However, the other batsmen, including Dhananjaya de Silva, Brandon King, and Charith Asalanka haven’t been in the best of forms.

It is the same story with the bowlers as well. Captain Sunil Naraine has been economical but has failed to pick up wickets consistently, while the likes of Akeal Hossain and Sabir Ali Rao have been very expensive. Lahiru Kumara bowled a spell of 3 wickets for 36 runs in the last match and is now the leading wicket-taker for the Knight Riders this season. 

Dubai Capitals

The Dubai Capitals have been rather inconsistent in their performance so far and that has been reflected in their standing in the points table, where they sit just above the Knight Riders with 5 points. They trail the 4th-placed Sharjah Warriors by 2 points and will overtake them due to a better NRR if they win this match.

The Dubai Capitals played their most recent match against the Desert Vipers, where they lost by a 12-run margin. Opting to bowl first, the Capitals restricted the Vipers to 149-9 in their 20 overs, thanks to an excellent spell of 3 wickets for 16 runs by Adam Zampa.

Jake Ball and Fred Klaassen picked up 2 wickets each but they were quite expensive. During the chase, the Capitals were off to a shaky start, losing both its openers with just 7 runs on the board. Captain Rovman Powell and Yusuf Pathan played sensibly lower down to give them a glimmer of hope but the Vipers’ bowling attack held their nerves right till the end to deny the hosts a win. The team is sorely missing the services of its star batsman, Joe Root, who has left for international duties, while his replacement, Hazratullah Zazai is yet to get going.

Much is being expected from all-rounders Yusuf Pathan and Sikandar Raza but they have failed to stamp their authority. It has also been a rather ordinary bowling performance by the Capitals so far, with Akif Raja being the pick of the bowlers. However, with Adam Zampa joining the squad and showing some good form, we can expect things to get a bit better going ahead.