With the 9th edition of the Indian Premier League less than a week away, lets take a look at how perennial under performers Delhi Daredevils will potentially lineup under their newly acquired mentor Rahul Dravid.
2016 Auction
Working on their primary weakness over the years, the Daredevils management body focused on spending massively on big hitting allrounders. As a result, Chris Morris, Carlos Brathwaite and Pawan Negi were acquired for a mammoth 20 crores combined fee.
The team also focused on acquiring young Indian talent, and specifically the disbanding of the Rajasthan Royals franchise was beneficial in that aspect, with promising youngsters Karun Nair and Sanju Samson being purchased for big amounts. Delhi also placed their trust in the India Under 19 players such as Rishabh Pant and Mahipal Lomror.
Despite spending massive amounts of money on new talent, the biggest signing for the Delhi Daredevils this season is undoubtedly Rahul Dravid, in the form of a mentor, and after a successful stint with the Rajasthan Royals and the India U-19 squad, he will be looking to take Delhis youngsters to the next level.
Playing XI
Unlike other franchises, the Delhi Daredevils do not boast of very high profile T20 players, or the marquee players as theyre called, apart from JP Duminy. There is also a lack of prominent Indian players, with not a single Delhi player representing India in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, although Mohammed Shami and Pawan Negi were unused subs. Therefore, the success of the franchise this season hugely depends on the batting form of their Indian youngsters.
Top Order
The current team has an abundance of pinch hitting openers but based on current form, the pair of Quinton De Kock and Mayank Agarwal would be a safe bet. De Kock had a hugely impressive T20 World Cup campaign in an erstwhile dissapointing tournament for his country. Apart from being an exceptionally agile wicket keeper he also guarantees a pacy start for any team he plays for and has proved his ability in Indian conditions.
Mayank Agarwal has been in sublime form recently, picking up the Man Of The Series award in the recent India A series against South Africa, where he scored consecutive centuries. An explosive opener in the Sehwag mould, DD can expect some fireworks from him this season.
Last years sole shining light for DD, Shreyas Iyer should be considered for the one down slot. He was immense last season and surely turned a lot of heads. He amassed 439 runs at an average of over 33 in his debut season, and this could be his breakthrough year, with the Indian national team on his mind.
Middle Order
Iyer can be followed by one of Dravids personal favourite players i.e Karun Nair, who has been extremely consistent for the Rajasthan Royals in the past and would add some much needed solidarity to the batting lineup.
Last seasons captain and by far the most consistent T20 player in the Delhi squad, JP Duminy is the automatic choice for the number 5 spot. The team will rely on his ability to pace his innings and end with a bang as hes the most experienced batsman available. He is also a useful bowling option which makes him crucial to the side.
Duminy can be accompanied in the middle order by the pint sized yet hard hitting youngster Sanju Samson. Essentially a top order batsman, but his ability to play the big shots can be utilized in the death overs and he can be a useful lower middle order batsman as well.
Lower Order
Unlike the previous seasons, Delhi Daredevils have strenghtened their lower order batsmen quota and the likes of Chris Morris and the man of the moment Carlos Brathwaite can cause some heavy damage in the last few overs. These two allrounders also double up as mainstream bowlers meaning the team can have a very deep batting lineup. Brathwaite in particular would be looking to carry his World Cup winning momentum into the IPL, after hitting 4 sixes off 4 balls to lead West Indies to an unforgettable victory in the final.
You know you have a strong batting lineup when someone like Pawan Negi is available at number 9. The most expensive Indian player in this years auction, Negi is a hard hitting all rounder who has risen through the ranks and was also a part of the Indian squad at the World Cup.
Tailenders
Veteran spinner Amit Mishra can add some vital experience in the bowling attack, with a wicket laden IPL career to boast of. Skipper Zaheer Khan completes the tail, and with Mohammed Shamis continuous injury struggles, will be looking to cement his place in the squad and provide discipline to the Delhi bowling attack.
Alternatives
On turning pitches, Imran Tahir can be included in the playing XI at the expense of either Morris or Brathwaite, based on their performances. Nathan Coulter NIle is another foreign alternative on pacy wickets. A fit Mohammed Shami can be a more than able replacement for Zaheer Khan if required, and even Shahbaz Nadeem, the current leading wicket taker of the last Ranji season, can be given a chance instead of Amit Mishra.
Prospects Delhi Daredevils do not exactly boast of an enviable record in the IPL. However, what may come as a surprise to many is that Delhi have actually topped the IPL League table twice, more than any other current IPL franchise (the now defunct CSK have also topped the table twice),and therefore they would be looking to get back to their dominating ways. The franchise once boasted of world class talent such as Sehwag, AB Devilliers, Gambhir, Maxwell,Warner, Finch, Pieterson and many more, but now it is the turn of the Indian youngsters under the priceless guidance of Rahul Dravid to take Delhi back to the very top. Apart from the youngsters, if the two main foreign recruits i.e Morris and Brathwaite click from the very beginning then it wouldnt be a surprise to see Delhi Daredevils finish in the top 4 this season.
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