Delhi Daredevils are ready to take on Rajasthan Royals in their first home game and would be looking to emerge victorious. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals are all set to give Delhi a run for their money. Royals have got some excellent bowlers in their armoury and can be very lethal at Feroze Shah Kotla. Meanwhile Daredevils will miss the services of Virender Sehwag for one more game and that is sure to aggravate their problem.
Here we bring to you the players who can contribute immensely to their team to win the first fixture for their side in the Delhi Daredevils versus Rajasthan Royals at Kotla.
Delhi Daredevils
Mahela Jayawardane: His stupendous knock in the opening game against Kolkata Knight Riders earned him lots of praises. He played the role of sheath-anchor really well and didn’t lose his cool. His ability to bat throughout the innings makes him a very special batsman. His captaincy will be instrumental for Delhi Daredevils fortune as he is a good leader who just needs three or four good players to make his strategy work. Collective team effort will hold the key in the upcoming fixture against Rajasthan Royals.
Umesh Yadav: Yadav was not up to the mark in the opening match and would be surely looking to make up for that in the second game at Kotla. The real problem with Yadav was his inconsistent line and length along with the variations that was very much needed while defending a low total. He needs to bowl those Yorkers to keep the batsmen quiet, otherwise Delhi will be in a serious trouble for the first few games of the tournament.
David Warner: He got off to a dazzling start but he failed to capitalize on that and lost his wicket in the process. He needs to be a bit more patient in his approach because he has all that it takes to make his team win the match single-handedly. Warner is without a doubt the one of the most explosive batsmen who can tear apart any bowling line-up on any given day, but he needs to play that waiting game like Chris Gayle did against Mumbai Indians.
Unmukt Chand: Unmukt got dismissed on the very first ball of the first game against KKR when Brett Lee bowled beauty of a delivery. He has been in brilliant run in domestic cricket and is looking forward to make a huge impact on the home soil. Unmukt has that ability to score quick runs but he needs to find his feet first otherwise it’s a tough task for the rising star of Indian cricket.
Shahbaz Nadeem: Nadeem displayed some brilliant bowling performance in the first match and picked up couple of wickets in that low scoring game. Nadeem can be a more useful bowler if he gets the support of Johan Botha from the other end who is an experienced campaigner. Nadeem looks to be the surprise package for Delhi in this season.
Rajasthan Royals
Rahul Dravid: Rahul Dravid had a good last season with Rajasthan Royals and is looking forward to continue his good run in this season too. His captaincy will be instrumental for the success of Rajasthan Royals. He is having a well-balanced side to lead. The side has good quality of pacers and middle-order batsmen who can win the game for Rajasthan on a consistent basis. Good team combination will hold the key for Rajasthan’s success.
Brad Hodge: Brad Hodge will play a crucial role with the bat as he did well in the previous season. His hard-hitting will be of great use especially while chasing those big targets on the flat pitches. He can be a great asset with his ability to come up with those big score on consistent basis. His fielding has always caught lots of eye-balls and will be surely looking forward to do something spectacular in this department too.
Shaun Tait: Tait can be real threat to any opposition with his raw pace. His toe-breaking Yorkers will be really useful in the death overs. Tait has all it takes to be the a lethal bowler but he needs to stick to the right line and length, as most of the times he starts bowling wides and no-balls just for the sake of that extra pace. If he does improve this aspect in his bowling, he can be as dangerous as Dale Steyn.
S Sreesanth: The Kerala Express will be back in action as he will be sharing the new-ball with Shaun Tait. Sreesanth was ruled out of IPL-5 because he sustained a toe-injury but now he is fit and raring to roar to take on Delhi Daredevils. His aggression has always been his strength and it would be a treat to watch this pacer at Kotla where he created a havoc against Sri-Lankan players few years back.
Ajinkya Rahane: The explosive opener is back in his den and ready to unleash himself on the fragile bowling attack of Delhi Daredevils. Rahane enjoys his batting on the bouncy track and Kotla will surely assist him. His ability to score quick runs after a slow start makes him a much-needed player at the top-order. With the good domestic record this season, he would be looking to come up with some special in the opening match of this season.
By Amit Chopra
Indian Sports News Network