The Delhi Daredevils have been a bit of an enigma in the Indian Premier League. They have finished at the top of the league table on two separate occasions, a league record. First, in 2009 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir boosted by the performances of Tillakaratne Dilshan and AB de Villiers and in 2012 where an inspired Kevin Petersen carried them to the top of the table. On both occasions however, they faltered when it really mattered and are yet to contest for the IPL trophy in a final. A whole bunch of superstar players have worn the Delhi colours including Glenn McGrath, Daniel Vettori, David Warner, Mahela Jayawardane, Ross Taylor, Virender Sehwag to name a few and it’s fair to say that the Delhi based franchise hasn’t done justice to the talent they had at their disposal.
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In 2015, they had a largely forgettable season finishing 7th on the table, just ahead of Kings XI Punjab. The GMR Group owned franchise will be hoping it’s 9th time lucky this year around. Funnier things have happened in the past in the IPL; for example, in 2009, the Deccan Charges went on to lift the IPL trophy after finishing at the bottom of the table the very previous year.
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With an eye to improve the balance of the squad, the team management decided to retain a strong Indian core including the likes of Amit Mishra, Jayant Yadav, Mayank Agarwal, Mohammad Shami, Shahbaz Nadeem, Shreyas Iyer & Zaheer Khan. Joining them would be South African superstars Imran Tahir, JP Duminy, Chris Morris and Australian Nathan Coulter-Nile. In the 2016 auction, Delhi were aggressive in their bidding and bought a total of 14 players spending . The most eye catching being WT20 winner Carlos Brathwaite, who now seems to be a bargain at 4.2 Crore. The other signings that caught the eye include young Sanju Samson, South African all rounder Chris Morris & Karun Nair of the Rajasthan Royals.
This year the Delhi side will be coached by Paddy Upton and they pulled off a major scoop by hiring Rahul Dravid, India’s U19 coach as mentor. The two worked wonders at Rajasthan Royals and will be looking to replicate the magic in Delhi. They were known to back the youngsters and the likes of Karun Nair & Sanju Samson thrived under their guidance. Keep an eye out for the youngsters in the Delhi squad including 18 year old Risbabh Pant, the swashbuckling left hander turned heads at the U19 World Cup earlier this year in Bangaldesh with his most impressive performance being a 100 against Namibia earning him a whopping 1.9 crore contract (base price 10 lakh). He is joined by the likes of 21 year old Akhil Herwadkar from Mumbai & 16 year old Mahipal Lormor who also impressed in the U19 World Cup.
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Having laid the groundwork, we now move to the difficult part of choosing a predicted playing XI that Zaheer Khan will lead out on the 10th of April when they take on multiple IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.
Playing XI:
1) Shreyas Iyer, Age: 21
Shreyas Iyer had a great IPL 2015 striking a big claim to open the batting this year as well. The 21 year old from Mumbai impressed everyone with his consistency in a disappointing season for the Delhi team.
IPL 2015 Quick Facts:
Matches – 14
Runs – 439
Average – 33.76
Strike Rate – 128.36
High score – 83 (v Mumbai Indians)
He has been building a reputation for himself displaying very impressive form for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. He helped Mumbai clinch their 41st title with a Man of the Match performance in the final.
For this reason, we pip him to start ahead of Bangalore born Mayank Agarwal at the top of the order. However, a run of bad games could see him lose his spot at the top of the batting order.
2) Quinton de Kock, Age: 23
Quinton de Kock is the automatic choice at the top of the order, complementing Shreyas Iyer perfectly and making it a left hand right hand batting partnership at the top. De Kock has seen his stock rise over the last couple of years. He’s already racked up 10 ODI hundreds in 57 matches and is a premier wicket keeper who can take catches that change matches.
IPL 2015 Quick Facts:
Matches – 3
Runs – 122
Average – 40.66
Strike Rate – 158.44
High Score – 69 (v Royal Challengers Bangalore)
QDK had an impressive run in a largely forgettable tournament for the South Africans in the WT20, making it to the team of the tournament. So impressive that it led to people getting just a little bit carried away –
Delhi should rely on ‘QDK’ to get them away to great starts and his form will be crucial for Delhi’s success. It is worth noting that Delhi have a number of wicketkeeping options with Samson and Englishman Sam Billings in the ranks as well, so QDK will have to perform to keep his place in the squad.
3) Sanju Samson, Age: 21
Sanju Samson made waves when we was thrust into the spotlight playing for the Rajasthan Royals in 2013. It’s not everyday you see a 19 year old from Kerala have such an immediate impact as he did and he has been an IPL star over the last couple of season. What’s more? He’s thrived playing under Rahul Dravid.
IPL 2015 Quick Facts:
Matches – 14
Runs – 206
Average – 20.40
Strike Rate – 125.15
High Score – 76 (v Mumbai Indians)
Clamour grew for the inclusion of the likes of Sanju Samson during India’s WT20 campaign -
He will be hoping on improving his relatively poor average but should benifit from a role higher up in the batting order. He can double up as a wicketkeeper and his flexibility adds a lot of depth to the squad. Another great year for him in the IPL? We reckon so.
4) Karun Nair, Age: 24
Good day for Karun Nair, the 6th of February 2016. At the start of the auction, Karun’s base price was set at 10 lakh. A couple of hours later, he was sold to Delhi Daredevils for 4 crore, 40 times the base price showing the faith that the team management has in the young right handed batsman from Karnataka.
The aggressive bidding for the Karun certainly turned heads –
IPL 2015 Quick Facts:
Matches – 14
Runs – 181
Average – 16.45
Strike Rate – 124.82
High Score – 61 (v Delhi Daredevils)
Karun should enjoy the added responsibility he will be given with the Delhi Daredevils and will be looking to replicate the form he showed in the 2014 season where he scored 330 runs.
5) JP Duminy, Age: 31
JP Duminy will once again be the rock in the middle of the Delhi Daredevils batting order. Without the added burder of captaincy, he should look forward to another great season. Expect him to come into bat at various positions in the batting order. It’s worth pointing out that JP Duminy is South Africa’s highest run getter in the shortest format of the game.
IPL 2015 Quick Facts:
Matches – 14
Runs – 414
Average – 41.40
Strike Rate – 131.42
High score – 78 (v Mumbai Indians)
This will be JP’s third year with the Delhi franchise and he will be vital with the bat, with the ball and as a leader in the field.
6) Pawan Negi, Age: 23
Pawan Negi must have gone into the World T20 on a high. And why not? He was bought by Delhi for a staggering 8.5 crores, the highest for an Indian and the second highest overall behind Shane Watson at 9.5 Crore. He then sat on the sidelines for the entire tournament as India got dumped out by the West Indies. He will have a point to prove.
I repeat, 8.5 crores –
IPL 2015 Quick Stats:
Matches – 10
Runs – 116
Strike Rate – 158.50
Wickets – 6
Economy Rate – 8.40
Pawan Negi thrived under the able leadership of MS Dhoni at the very successful Chennai Super Kings franchise. His price tag indicates the Delhi Daredevils have big plans for him and are expecting him to be one of the most important players for the team.
7) Carlos Brathwaite, Age: 27
What a couple of months it has been for the big man from Barbados. There was shock when Carlos Brathwaite was picked up for 4.2 crores by the Delhi Daredevils. The shock no better portrayed than by the man himself who aptly said on the day -
Cut forward two months and he is the man of the moment having smacked 4 big sixes in the last overs to lift West Indies to their second WT20 title. He might just add the lacking ‘X factor’ to the squad this season and his presence is a big boost for the Daredevils. He will be making his debut in the IPL this season.
WT20 Quick Stats:
Matches – 6
Runs – 57
Strike Rate – 203.57
Wickets – 4
Economy Rate – 8.05
8) Chris Morris, Age: 28
Delhi Daredevils have done some serious business this year around buying Morris at 7 Crore from Rajasthan Royals. Morris has become an experienced campaigner in the IPL after stints at CSK and RR. He can do some serious damage with both the bat and the ball and has to be one of the most complete all rounders in the IPL.
IPL 2015 Quick Stats:
Matches – 11
Runs – 76
Strike Rate – 165.21
Wickets – 13
Economy Rate – 7.40
Morris is an asset for any side going by his numbers and should start the first game. However, he might face a challenge to keep his place in the squad if they decide to play an extra spinner in the form of his compatriot Imran Tahir. Morris however, seems ready:
9) Amit Mishra, Age: 33
Amit Mishra is one of the most successful IPL bowlers of all time having taken 111 wickets, second only to Malinga’s 143. He will be looking at the IPL as a way of putting in a strong performance and earning a recall to the Indian team. There was a case for Amit Mishra’s inclusion this World T20 -
IPL 2015 Quick Stats:
Matches – 12
Wickets – 9
Average – 34.44
Economy Rate – 7.71
Amit Mishra’s performances early in the season will be key to determine whether he retains his place in the squad. Fun fact: He is the only player to have taken 3 hattricks in IPL history.
10) Zaheer Khan, Age: 37
The announcement that Zaheer Khan would be captaining the Delhi Daredevils this season came as a surprise but maybe it’s another clever move by Paddy Upton and team to get the best out of the experienced pacer. "It is a huge honour to captain Delhi Daredevils. To get this responsibility is a way for me to give back to the game.” said Zaheer.
IPL 2015 Quick Stats:
Matches – 7
Wickets – 7
Average – 22.28
Economy Rate – 6.45
Last year’s figures show that the left arm pacer still has plenty in the tank. It would be interesting to see if he drops himself if his performances aren’t up to the mark – A trend we have seen in the IPL in the fast. (Sangakkara, Cameron White, etc)
11) Mohammad Shami, Age: 26
Mohammed Shami has been on a long road back to fitness. He fought and fought and tried to make it in time for the World T20 but while he made it to the squad there was no place for him in the playing XI. At his best, Mohammed Shami is probably India’s best and most consistent pacer.
IPL 2014 Quick Stats:
Matches – 12
Wickets – 7
Average – 52.71
Economy Rate – 8.38
Having painfully missed out on the 2015 IPL, Shami will be looking at this season as a launchpad to get back to his best.
To summarize –
On paper, this team seems to have the perfect blend of youthful exuberance and experience. The only concern for the team management would be the batting, which does seem a little short on depth. It provides a terrific opportunity for the likes of Iyer, Samson & Nair to cash in. Be sure to expect Paddy Upton & Rahul Dravid to be fearless with their selection. Rishabh Pant is waiting on the wings and could have a huge role to play.
Delhi’s bowling line up could send shivers down the spine of any opponent. Not included in the predicted playing XI are Australian Nathan Coulter-Nile and South African Imran Tahir. The reason for their exclusion is the slightly weak batting line up. However, a surprise could be on the cards and we could very easily see Tahir come in for his compatrior De Kock and Sanju Samson might be seen wicketkeeping.
Exciting times for the Delhi Daredevils and their fans. This season promises to be special. We cannot ignore the influence that Brathwaite will have on this team. He will carry the calypso spirit into this Delhi team and very soon they could all be a “Champion”.
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