Daredevils bank on home leg for change in fortune
You could write the positives for Delhi Daredevils on the back of a postage stamp. Yet things looked so rosy just before Indian Premier League 2018 kicked off. Now languishing at the bottom of the table with just one win in five games, Gautam Gambhir's side will look at their home run to put an end to their rot and give them a much needed push higher up the table.
It wasn't as if Daredevils were always destined for such performances. They had, and still do, one of the most balanced sides in the tournament. They had a captain who knew how to succeed. They had match winners and changers aplenty. Youth, experience, X factor - you name it, the Daredevils had it all. The only question that lingered was if it could all come together when it mattered.
As it happened, however, most of it didn't. Their bowlers have had far too many off days, while the batters have been far from consistent, often leaning on one star performance to bail them out. That sees them looking up at all the other teams with just one win in five games. Their only hope remains their home leg. They haven't yet played a game at the Feroz Shah Kotla, and will want to ensure they turn the ground into a fortress, and renew their chances in the league.
For Kings XI Punjab, things are far more promising. They are at the other end of the table, tied on points with Chennai Super Kings, and have won four of the five games, including the one against Daredevils earlier in the season.
The inclusion of Chris Gayle has turned out to be a masterstroke, with the left-hander already among the top rungetters this season. Ashwin's captaincy has been a breath of fresh air, while the performances of the likes of Lokesh Rahul, Mujeeb Zadran and Karun Nair have given their camp plenty to cheer about.
When: Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab, April 23, 8 PM IST
Where: Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi
What to expect: No forecast of rain, with temperatures hovering around late 20s in the evening. The pitch still remains a mystery with both teams reaching Delhi only one day before the game.
Team News:
Delhi Daredevils: More than the batting, it's the bowling department that might see some changes being made. Vijay Shankar has had a lukewarm tournament so far, and could see himself sitting out for one of the many allrounders Daredevils have. Harshal Patel could also sit out, with Mohammed Shami returning to the XI.
Probable XI: Jason Roy, Gautam Gambhir, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Morris, Gurkeerat Singh Mann/Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult
Kings XI Punjab: Axar Patel's fitness still remains under a cloud, so KXIP could stick to the same XI that beat KKR in Kolkata.
Probable XI: Lokesh Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Head to Head of teams
DD 9 - 12 KXIP
Team Record at Kotla
DD 5 - 4 KXIP
Interesting face-offs
Gayle vs Morris: Morris has dismissed Gayle thrice in 36 balls conceding 40 runs. All those three dismissals came in the Powerplay with Gayle's scores being 4, 1 and 6.
Gambhir vs Axar: Axar has not dismissed Gambhir in 51 balls bowled to him conceding 58 runs.
Approaching milestones
Gambhir will be leading in a T20 match for the 170th time, replacing Darren Sammy from the second spot for most matches as captain in T20s. Only MS Dhoni (244) has captained in more games.
Venue trends
DD have won all their last three matches against KXIP at Kotla.
Spinners had an economy rate of 8.07 at Kotla in 2017 - third most for a venue after Indore and Rajkot.
IPL 2018 trends
KXIP have been the best batting team in the first six overs this season - run rate of 10.67 and economy rate of 7.63.
DD have lost most wickets in PP this season - 11. They average 22.00 per wicket in the Powerplay compared to the tournament average of 36.14.