IPL 2018: 4 reasons why Delhi Daredevils might fancy their chances

Delhi Daredevils have been the perennial underachievers of IPL. Having started their maiden IPL season on an impressive note by ending up as semi-finalists, team Delhi lost their path in successive editions as they failed to live up to their fans' expectations and ended up with the wooden spoon more often than not.

Despite having had legends such as Jayawardene, Yuvraj Singh, Sehwag, Zaheer Khan etc. donning their jersey, DD never really took off and failed to create a mark. The despondency of their fans can be gauged from the fact that amongst the active IPL teams, DD is the only one to have never reached an IPL final, leave alone winning the coveted trophy.

However, this saga is set to change this time as DD currently possess a comprehensive and balanced squad with all their bases covered. Having made some smart choices in the auctions, team Delhi look extremely balanced this time around. Let us explore 4 reasons why Delhi might fancy their chances this time.

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#1 Explosive overseas batsmen

Colin Munro is the only batsmen to score 3 T20I hundreds

Any team's success in T20 cricket mostly depends on explosive batting and power hitting. Delhi Daredevils can lay claim to the fact of possessing the most destructive and explosive overseas batting combination. With the likes of Colin Munro, Glenn Maxwell, and Jason Roy gracing their team sheet, DD seem to be sufficiently strong on paper.

Jason Roy has been in terrific form of late and has played a huge part in England's rejuvenation in limited overs Cricket ever since their disastrous 2015 WC campaign. He comes on the back of having scored the highest ODI individual score (180) for England recently and has the reputation of clearing the skies with ease with his impeccable power hitting.

Along with him is swashbuckling Kiwi opener Colin Munro whose reputation as a T20 power hitter is second to none. Munro was recently promoted as an opener and has been in red-hot form since then, which saw him earn the Player of the Series award against West Indies recently. His impact can be comprehended from the fact that he is the only player to score 3 T20I centuries. If Gambhir decides not to open, we might see Munro and Roy opening the batting and taking full advantage of the powerplay overs.

Along with the duo, DD also possesses the likes of Glenn Maxwell, whose exploits in the shortest format are well known, and Daniel Christian and Chris Morris. All these batsmen have the reputation of being power hitters and can singlehandedly win matches on their day.

#2 Highly talented Indian batsmen

DD's middle order will be heavily reliant on the duo of Iyer and Pant

Looking back at IPL history, it is seen that the most successful teams have been the ones that have boasted of a strong Indian batting line up. DD has some of the most talented and prolific Indian batsmen and has its bases well covered in this department.

Skipper Gautam Gambhir is one of the most successful batsmen in IPL history. He holds the record for the most half-centuries and most boundaries in IPL and his contributions towards his ex-franchise KKR's twin victories are well recorded.

Local boy Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer were the only 2 Indian players to be retained by DD. These two have been in terrific form of late in domestic cricket that saw them earn their India caps recently. These two will form the fulcrum of the middle order who will navigate through the important middle overs.

Additionally, India's U-19 World Cup stars Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Kalra are a part of the franchise this season. Manjot was the man of the series in the World Cup and skipper Shaw played an equally valiant role. These two youngsters will have a huge role to play. All-rounders Vijay Shankar and Gurkeerat Singh Mann are also handy with the bat.

#3 Balanced bowling attack

Mohammad Shami would be looking to make a mark after enduring some tough personal issues

A successful T20 team needs a well-equipped bowling attack to complement the batting department. DD has an extremely balanced bowling attack which complements their batting prowess. A combination of potent domestic and foreign bowlers augurs well for the franchise.

India's premium bowler Mohammad Shami will be an important starter for DD. Despite his personal travails, he would be raring to go this season. Kiwi speedster Trent Boult has been in an impeccable form of late, which saw him earn the Player of the series award against England in the recent Test series. South African Chris Morris is a known death over expert while Avesh Khan is known to clock the 140 mph frequently. Kagiso Rabada, however, will be missed sorely as he has been ruled out due to injury.

Amongst spinners, DD boasts of experienced workhorse Amit Mishra and the talented Jayant Yadav. Punjab all-rounder Gurkeerat Singh Mann is another valuable option. Nepali teenager Sandeep Lamichhane will be the X-factor. The 17-year-old is an unknown commodity and his leg breaks and googlies have the ability to bamboozle the batsman. Even Shahbaz Nadeem has done well in the limited opportunities he has earned in his IPL career so far.

#4 Experienced captain in Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir's leadership would be crucial for DD's

success

A captain is only as good as his team, they say. However, the captain has a magnified role in T20 Cricket, considering the fickle nature of the format and the fact that the game can turn on its head in a span of a few deliveries. Apart from setting the field and deciding on the playing XI, he also has to boost the morale of the team.

In Gautam Gambhir, Daredevils have an experienced campaigner whose achievements as a skipper are well established. The southpaw is the third most experienced captain in the T20 format (164 matches as captain), only behind MS Dhoni and Darren Sammy. Gambhir also is known to take responsibility heads on and deliver to his team at crucial moments, both as a batsman and as a captain.

The 2009 ICC Test cricketer of the year awardee had led his erstwhile franchise KKR to twin IPL trophy glories in 2012 and 2014 respectively. He is also a vastly experienced captain in the domestic circuit and is seen as a natural leader.

Considering all these facts, it is safe to assume that DD is one of the clear favorites to have a shot at the glorious multi-million trophy.