Battle for the Final spot : CSK vs DD Preview

With 1 out of the 4 metropolitan cities having already booked its berth in the IPL- 5 final, and 1 having crashed out of contention, it’s down to two now – Delhi and Chennai as they go head to head for the last spot in the final of this grand event. While the Chennai Super Kings have revived under their skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni after qualifying for the playoffs owing to sheer luck, Delhi Daredevils find themselves in a familiar situation like the previous seasons where they dominated the league stage before coming out paupers in the playoffs. However, this time, they have a second chance and a last one too. Virender Sehwag needs to make his decisions right and one hopes he has learnt from his mistakes in the previous game. As for the Super Kings, they peaked at a time when it was most needed and looked ominous in their last outing where they thrashed Mumbai Indians convincingly.

Head-to-head this season

Nothing to separate between the two. While Delhi looked strong in their own backyard defeating the Super Kings by eight wickets, Chennai gave an apt reply with a thumping nine-wicket victory when the two teams met at Chepauk for the return-leg match.

Players to look out for

Chennai Super Kings

MS Dhoni: After a subdued season, he unleashed a captain’s knock at the right time at the right moment to help his team sail through against the mighty Malingas in the eliminator match a couple of days back. His deft captaincy and slam-bang batting (not to forget that helicopter shot) makes the Chennai attack formidable. He is undoubtedly, the reason why Chennai is so successful in the IPL.

Dwayne Bravo: He has shown why his Caribbean style of winning matches is so popular. A cool head with some awesome batting skills paired with acrobatic fielding makes him a handful. He has proved to be a good buy for Dhoni as he continues to enthrall spectators with his style.

Ben Hilfenhaus: He hasn’t gone wicket-less in any match after joining the team. He has emerged as a good swing bowler with accurate yorkers and surprise short-pitched deliveries. He accounted for Warner and Sehwag in their last meeting. What about this time?

Delhi Daredevils

Virender Sehwag: He stands with his back against the wall. After some bad gambles that went against him in the KKR match (sending Ross Taylor at 7 being the most highlighted one) he will look at doing it right today. Else, Delhi will be so near, yet so far.

Morne Morkel: He went wicketless in the last match, but still owns the purple cap. That displays his worth in the Delhi side. Sehwag will depend on him for the major wickets of Hussey, Dhoni and Bravo. Will he be able to forget Laxmi Ratan Shukla’s 85m six and make a comeback?

Mahela Jayawardene: The strange fact is that he is still to win a playoff match. Mahela will definitely look to turn the stats in his favor and score a biggie today in order to make sure Delhi doesn’t choke once again in the playoffs. Let’s see if he can make an impact in this big match.

Prediction

It’s even steven. With the fire-power in the Daredevils’ line-up, they are expected to fight it out. But Chennai are suddenly going great guns and under a superb captain, they hold the goods to turn the fortunes in their favor. All said, it’s going to be a cracker of a match!