Noor vs Kuldeep in battle of spinners as CSK face DC

Chennai: Noor Ahmed's guile will meet its perfect match in Kuldeep Yadav's artistry as two wrist spinners will drive the narrative in a match where Chennai Super Kings could be led by MS Dhoni in place of injured Ruturaj Gaikwad against Delhi Capitals here on Saturday.

Gaikwad suffered a blow on his unprotected elbow against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati last Sunday and the CSK skipper remains doubtful for the contest against the visitors.

It will be an afternoon game in sapping Chennai heat and the kind of tracks on offer will certainly make it a 50-50 match. Kuldeep with an economy rate of 5.25 is the best in terms of quality among the four spinners expected to be in action during the game.

Afghanistan spinner Noor has so far got nine wickets at an equally impressive economy rate of 6.83 and he can certainly prove to be a handful during the middle overs with balls expected to grip the surface.

"He is bowling really well and I know him personally. He is someone who is trying to learn from everyone. We had a chat last night as well. I was sitting with him and we had a chat about how to go about the leg-spin," Kuldeep said on the eve of the match. "And obviously, he has a lovely wrong 'un and with that kind of a pace, it's very difficult for a batter to pick," the India international said.

It will be an engaging contest as both wrist spinners are very different in nature. While Noor bowls at a quicker pace and mostly takes the ball away from the right handers, wily customer Kuldeep has perfected the art of using the angles of the crease and varying the pace of his

deliveries.