News Sports Cricket IPL 2024: Why Mukesh Kumar is not playing for Delhi Capitals against KKR in Vizag?

IPL 2024: Why Mukesh Kumar is not playing for Delhi Capitals against KKR in Vizag?

India and Delhi Capitals pacer Mukesh Kumar, who bowled a match-winning spell against Chennai Super Kings in the last game of the 2024 edition of the IPL, wasn't named in the XI against the Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer decided to bat first after winning the toss.

Mukesh Kumar, who turned the last game against Chennai Super Kings for his, wasn't named in the playing XI for the Delhi Capitals Image Source : APMukesh Kumar, who turned the last game against Chennai Super Kings for his, wasn't named in the playing XI for the Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals (DC) coming off a win against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their last game, made a key change to their playing XI for the second home match in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, April 3. Pacer Mukesh Kumar, who turned the game in the Capitals' favour with the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi and Shivam Dube, wasn't named in the line-up with all-rounder Sumit Kumar replacing him against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Mukesh, who suffered a hamstring strain in the last game against the Super Kings, bowled despite the injury and it seems the Capitals didn't want to take any risk and hence he was left out. Skipper Rishabh Pant mentioned that Mukesh was injured and hence was replaced by Sumit.

Not just Delhi, even Kolkata Knight Riders made a change to their line-up with Angrkrish Raghuvanshi coming into the playing XI since they were batting first. KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer decided to have a go with the bat first after winning the toss having seen what Delhi did in their last game at the venue against CSK. 

In Mukesh's absence, Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma will have to shoulder the death bowling responsibilities. Khaleel Ahmed and Ishant also did well in the last game in the powerplay but Mukesh came on to bowl only in the latter half of the innings and delivered for the team. But against a heavy batting line-up of KKR, the Delhi bowlers will have their task cut out, especially on a belter of a surface like Vizag.

Playing XIs

Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Sumit Kumar, Rasikh Dar Salam, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed

Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt(w), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy