Is Steve Smith playing tonight? Is DC star's mental health concerning for the team?

Match 22 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 saw the Royal Challengers Bangalore beat the Delhi Capitals by 1 run. Steve Smith couldn’t make an impact on the match scoring runs from balls and with that, the Steve Smith IPL 2021 performance has remained at an average standard. His recent performances have not been up to the mark which has left the fans questioning, "Is Steve Smith playing tonight?”

The Steve Smith IPL 2021 season began when he was brought in the place of Ajinkya Rahane when the Indian Test vice-captain was unable to get going from the start. However, Smith has yet to make a significant mark on the game, the reason for this can be recent developments that are happening in the IPL 2021. Australian players like Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson and Andrew Tye have quit the league after the Australian government announced a temporary ban on direct passenger flights coming into Australia from India till May 15.

Is Steve Smith playing tonight?

The ACA chief Todd Greenberg had earlier pointed out that their players were in one of the biggest hotspots that had emerged since the Covid-19 pandemic. He also suggested that the Australian players were very anxious due to the ongoing situation and their association is working with Cricket Australia and Australian authorities to arrange a charter flight for the players after the tournament. Seeing many players quit the game early has reportedly made Steve Smith anxious but the Delhi Capitals team might give him a position in the playing XI in Thursday's match considering the combination of players.

Steve Smith stats

So far in IPL 2021, the Steve Smith stats have seen him play 4 matches in which he has managed to score 80 runs with an average of 26.66. He has maintained a strike rate of 112.67. The overall stats tell a better story for Steve Smith. In his entire IPL career, Smith has played 99 matches scoring 2413 runs. He has maintained an average of 34.97 with a strike rate of 128.62.

DC vs KKR live streaming

The DC vs KKR live telecast will see the Delhi Capitals take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 25 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The DC vs KKR live telecast will begin from 7:30 p.m. onwards. The DC vs KKR live telecast can be seen on the Star Sports Network. The DC vs KKR live streaming will be available on Disney+ Hotstar online streaming platform.

DC vs KKR prediction

The KKR won their last match after losing 4 consecutive matches while the DC would be still in a shock after losing their last match by 1 run. Even though the Delhi Capitals had much better opening matches, they have started to look a bit shaky and more cautious with their approach. The KKR have found themselves in an ‘all or nothing situation’ which might see them win on Thursday in the DC vs KKR prediction report. Fans can expect brilliant batting displays by Shikhar Dhawan, Rahul Tripathi and Andre Russell while Avesh Khan will be expected to shine with the ball.

Image Source: AP