Delhi Capitals (DC) will be out to regain the top spot in the points table as they take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Match 23 of the Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Searching for their third win of the season, RR, who are looking to halt their three-match losing streak, return to their happy-hunting ground where they have registered two wins from as many games.

Ben Stokes is in the UAE but he is going to be in quarantine till the 10th and so is not going to be available for this match. That means RR has few options when it comes to changing things around. We really think it might be worth their while to try and get David Miller into the side.

RR could easily swap out Yashasvi Jaiswal once more and bring in Varun Aaron to strengthen the Indian bowling. It would be a bit tough on the youngster but the IPL is a place where there is no room for emotion.

RR is a very dangerous team in Sharjah. Jos Buttler was in good form in the previous match and just imagine what he could do on a small ground on a good day? We have seen what the likes of Sanju Samson, Steve Smith, and even Rahul Tewatia are capable of already. The batting for RR is powerful and capable of taking down any team on its day.

The problem is going to be the bowling. Jofra Archer is terrific but he does not have much support. Tom Curran has struggled, Ankit Rajpoot is lucky to be in the IPL at all, Kartik Tyagi is just one match old and the spinners are always going to struggle on a small ground like Sharjah.

Rajastha Royals is going to have to make a couple of changes in its playing eleven once more because it has not yet found its best balance.

DC has had a bit of a break after its win against RCB. The last match that DC played here was one where Shreyas Iyer showed off his six-hitting prowess. He is an amazing striker of the ball, as are a lot of other batsmen in the lineup. We are sure that DC is going to hard from the start given the kind of batting lineup that they have.

Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan can expect some fast stuff from Archer up top. It may be smart to play out his one over in the beginning but that is not the Prithvi Shaw way! If Delhi can see out the threat from Archer then their batting could run all over RR.

With Iyer at three and the likes of Pant, Stoinis, and Hetmyer to follow, there is more than enough batting talent in this team. In fact, DC can match RR or even outhit it in current form.

The bowling composition could change a little. Axar Patel was dropped the last time the Capitals played at Sharjah. With Mishra unavailable, it may be Ishant Sharma that gets a call-up.

The Delhi Capitals are the team to beat in IPL 2020 so far and look the best side alongside the Mumbai Indians. They are not unbeatable but are going to be hard to beat for sure.

Weather Forecast
It's going to be a sunny day with no chances of rain playing spoilsport for the RR vs DC IPL 2020 opener. The highest temperature will be around 38 degrees while the minimum temperature will be around 28 degrees. There will also be a strong breeze blowing around at the venue.

Pitch Report
It is an absolute belter of a track to bat on in Sharjah. Every team that has played here so far, barring Sunrisers Hyderabad, has crossed the 200-run mark. RR have done that twice. DC once.

Toss Prediction
The season has so far seen that the team's batting first have won most number of matches. Setting a target and putting the opposition under pressure is the way to go here and the team winning the toss is set to do the same.

Stats and Facts
Head to head: Matches Played: 20
Rajasthan Royals: 11
Delhi Capitals: 9

Approaching Milestones:
Sanju Samson requires 2 catches and 120 runs respectively to complete 50 IPL catches and 2500 IPL runs.
Jos Buttler needs 2 fours, 7 sixes and 24 runs to complete 100 IPL fours, 50 IPL sixes and 1000 IPL runs for RR.
Steve Smith is 73 runs away from completing 1000 IPL runs as captain.
Shreyas Iyer needs 96 runs to complete 1000 IPL runs as captain.
Rishabh Pant is a six away from completing 100 IPL sixes and needs 93 runs to complete 2000 IPL runs.
Ankit Rajpoot is one away from 100 T20 wickets. Shikhar Dhawan needs one six and 12 runs respectively to complete 100 IPL sixes and 1000 IPL runs for the Delhi franchise.

Likely XIs:
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Harshal Patel, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler (wk), Sanju Samson, Steven Smith (capt), Mahipal Lomror, Rahul Tewatia, Tom Curran/David Miller, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Kartik Tyagi, Ankit Rajpoot

Players to Watch Out For:
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Kagiso Rabada
Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Rahul Tewatia, Tom Curran/David Miller, Jofra Archer

Match Odds:
Delhi Capitals: 1.72
Kings XI Punjab: 2.10

SantaBanta's Winner Prediction: Delhi Capitals

IPL 2020 Winner Live Odds
Mumbai Indians - 3.6
Delhi Capitals - 4
Kolkata Knight Riders - 6
Royal Challengers Bangalore - 6.5
Sunrisers Hyderabad - 9
Chennai Super Kings - 10
Rajasthan Royals - 15
Kings XI Punjab - 34

Match Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
Time: 7.30 PM IST
TV: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar VIP