Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals, Dubai

Pro Tip: Expect the Delhi Capitals to have a better day than their last one, and pick most players from their line-up. As for the Rajasthan Royals, focus only on allrounders and consistent performers.

Our XI: Jos Buttler, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tewatia, Marcus Stoinis, Jofra Archer, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje

Substitutes: Steven Smith, Kartik Tyagi, R Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane

NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates, so please finalise your team after the toss.

Player availability:Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the tournament because of an abdominal muscle injury, and Rishabh Pant is also out for a week with a hamstring injury. All other players are available for selection.

Captain: Shreyas Iyer
The Capitals captain has been leading from the front, he has scored the most runs for the team - 245 at a strike rate of 138.41. Though he has got only one big score so far, he has got off to starts in almost every game. Iyer has a strike rate of 132.11 in the middle overs this season.

Vice-captain: Marcus Stoinis
Stoinis has been a revelation for the Capitals this season. He has been providing the impetus with the bat towards the end and has also chipped in with the ball. Stoinis has scored the most runs at No. 5 in the tournament - 111 at a strike rate of 158.57. He has also picked up six wickets so far.

Hot Picks

Jofra Archer: Archer has been bowling with great pace and accuracy consistently. He has picked up nine wickets so far. Among all the pacers who have picked up five or more wickets, Archer has the best economy rate - 6.82. He can also contribute with the bat as he has shown by scoring 88 runs at a strike rate of 220.

Jos Buttler: Buttler has had a couple of low scores of late but you can never write off a player of his calibre, especially in his favourite format. He has scored 146 runs so far at a strike rate of 146 and he can also fetch you some points behind the stumps. Buttler, in the IPL since 2018, strikes at 165.11 against pace in the powerplay. He has been dismissed only once by R Ashwin and never by Axar Patel in all T20s.

Shikhar Dhawan: After an underwhelming start, Dhawan got going in the game against the Mumbai Indians. He has been one of the most consistent performers for the Capitals, and an in-form Dhawan should feature in your team. Since 2019, Dhawan has scored 30 or more on 12 occasions in the IPL.

Differential Picks

Axar Patel: Patel has been bowling with great control. His miserly spells have forced the batsmen to take risks, and among all bowlers who have bowled ten or more overs this season, he has the third-best economy - 5.05. He is yet to concede a six in the tournament.

Rahul Tewatia: Tewatia has now played a huge part in two wins for the Royals. He has been bowling smartly and his batting down the order has been a revelation. He has scored 189 runs at a strike rate of 152.41 so far, and has picked up five wickets at an economy of 7.9.

Alternate Scenarios

• Prithvi Shaw has struggled against short balls at pace and with Archer and Kartik Tyagi, he will get a lot of that. So Ajinkya Rahane is an option to replace Shaw especially since Rahane will bat at No. 3.

• Dhawan has scored two fifties in three innings while chasing vs Royals since 2018. So if his team bats second, he can be your captain as well.

• As the pitches are getting slower, if the Capitals bowl second, Ashwin is a better option to exploit the conditions than Anrich Nortje.