The 32nd match of the IPL will feature the in-form Delhi Daredevils and Rising Pune Supergiants. Where the former is going through a dream run in the tournament, the latter has struck deep misfortunes due to injuries to their premier overseas players. DD have played some outstanding cricket in the tournament and that is why they are flourishing at number 3 position on the points table having played 2 games less than the other 3 teams in the top 4. On the other hand, RPS have struggled to find right combinations and hence languishing at number 6.
Also read: IPL 2016: DD vs RPS Playing 11- Today’s Probable 11 for Delhi Daredevils vs Rising Pune Supergiants
The Match will be live from 20:00 IST, 2:30 GMT. Watch live streaming of DD v/s RPS on www.starsports.com and www.hotstar.com. Mobile users can watch live streaming of DD v/s RPS on the Hotstar App. You can also watch the live telecast of DD v/s RPS on Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD, Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony Max. The match will be played at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi.
RPS have been extremely unlucky so far. Four of their ace players Kevin Pietersen, Faf Du Plessis, Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith have sustained injuries and ruled out of the tournament. If players of such class are not available, the team is bound to weaken. The inclusion of Peter Handscomb didn’t work well in the previous match against Mumbai Indians.
Ajinkya Rahane has been the most consistent batsman for them so far. He has scored 280 runs in 8 innings which include 4 half-centuries at an average of 40. RPS would depend heavily on him in the coming matches to provide good starts and play the sheet anchor’s role. The only issue with him though is the ability to score quick runs at the death. The players like Thisara Perera need to put their hands up now to finish the innings on a high note.
In the absence of big players, the responsibility on MS Dhoni’s shoulders will increase massively. He hasn’t struck great form yet having scored 146 runs in 7 innings. RPS need a lot more from him if they are to qualify for the playoffs. He probably needs to bat at number four now as no experienced batsmen are left in the middle order to guide the innings.
In the other department, they are lacking quality bowlers. Ravichandran Ashwin is going through a rare dry run. He has picked up just 3 wickets in 8 matches. On 4 out of 8 occasions, he didn’t even finish his full quota of 4 overs. It is very surprising to see that Dhoni’s most trusted bowler is not allowed to bowl all his overs. RPS badly need him to be back on track for the remaining matches.
Ashok Dinda has been impressive. He has claimed 6 wickets in 3 matches and is swinging the ball nicely. Their other pacer Thisara Perera has picked up 8 wickets in 6 matches but he is going for over 9 runs an over. Murugan Ashwin has bowled well in patches but lacked consistency. They might look to include Irfan Pathan in the team to strengthen both departments. They need to win almost all of their remaining matches from here to stand a chance to make it to the playoffs.
On the contrary, the performances that DD have put up have been second to none. They have left behind the disappointments of the previous seasons and under Zaheer Khan, the team is playing some extraordinary cricket. They have won 5 out of 7 matches so far and defeated heavyweights like RCB, MI, KKR and GL. They stand firm at number 3 and look likely to finish in the top four.
Their batting is headed by the South African opener Quinton de Kock. He was in a superlative form in the early part of the team’s campaign. He scored 184 runs in the first 3 games which included a century and a half-century. He lost the way a bit in the next 3 matches and could only manage scores of 9, 5 and 1. In the last match against GL, he looked like gaining back his form with an innings of 46 and was involved in an opening century partnership.
Apart from the opener, Sanju Samson, Karun Nair and JP Duminy all have contributed at crucial stages. This has helped them chasing down big scores like 191 against RCB and 170 against GL. Batting first though they haven’t set huge targets, but the bowling has been good enough on most occasions to defend that.
One sensational performer for them has been Chris Morris. He has picked up 6 wickets in 7 matches so far at an economy rate of just 6.74. He bowls well both at the start and the death. With the bat as well he has got great hitting abilities. Against GL, he played a superhuman innings of 82 runs off only 32 balls. He hit 8 colossal sixes and almost pulled off a miraculous victory for the team. Unfortunately, they lost it by the narrowest margin of 1 run.
Their major strength is their bowling line up comprising of Zaheer Khan, Mohammad Shami, and Amit Mishra. All are experienced, international bowler. Zaheer and Mishra both have picked up 7 wickets each. Shami too has got a wicket per game. Shahbaz Nadeem also has done a decent job in the 2 opportunities he got.
DD would look to continue with the winning momentum and it will be interesting to see what combinations RPS go in with in their desperate times.
The match will be broadcasted live on SuperSport in Africa, Geo Super in Pakistan, Maasranga in Bangladesh, Set Max and Sony Six in Bhutan, ESPN in the US, and Sky Sports in the UK. The live streaming of the match can also be watched on CricketGateway.com in Australia.
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