Daredevils look to continue their winning momentum when they face Royal Challengers Bangalore
Delhi Daredevils would be hoping that their big gun Yuvraj Singh would come to the party on Sunday (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi: Delhi Daredevils will be keen to carry on with their recently-rediscovered appetite for victory when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Kotla here on Sunday. J.P. Duminy’s team started IPL-8 with two defeats, extending a long streak of losses but both results were touch-and-go affairs. It was evident early in the season this was not the team of the last two years and so it is starting to appear, particularly with the success over star-studded Mumbai Indians here on Thursday.
RCB too are coming off a morale-boosting result, a nine-wicket win against league leaders Rajasthan Royals at Ahmedabad so it is a case of two upbeat teams seeking to make their way up the points table even as the toppers are beginning to falter. Imran Tahir is Delhi’s man of the season, the 36-year-old Lahore-born South African having brought zest and spirit into the Devils’ dressing room. Inevitably that vigour has percolated into the ranks, and he has also struck up a successful partnership with fellow-leggie Amit Mishra. It helps of course, that Tahir is an extremely wily purveyor of his craft who has benefited from Mishra’s presence, as evident from his perch atop the wicket-takers’ table. The other face lending vitality to the Kotla-based unit is young Mumbai opener Shreyas Iyer.
The 20-year-old is a fearless striker of the ball, and is part of a new generation of innovative young batsmen making a mark at this edition of the tournament including Deepak Hooda of the Royals and RCB’s Sarfaraz Khan. Iyer’s position in the batsmen’s standings (third with 227 runs from five games) is testament to the faith DD’s think tank has in his abilities, and taking on RCB spearhead Mitchell Starc will be crucial to his coming of age season.
For Virat Kohli, it will be a return to his domestic home ground and a city that adores his in-your-face style. Friday’s result over RR will also have come as a huge boost for the beleaguered Kohli whose star-heavy lineup have not really hit their straps yet. Starc’s late advent may well be a turning point, as the Ahmedabad outcome (3/22) suggests. The rangy Australian has another successful wicket-taker bowling alongside in Yuzvendra Chahal, who has 10 wickets so far at 14.90. And as a tasty footnote, it is time big guns Yuvraj Singh (DD) and Chris Gayle (RCB) came to the party.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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