After a streak of losses that spanned five matches, the Delhi Daredevils finally added points on the table when they beat the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Lions in their last two games. But due to their string of losses earlier in the tournament, they may still have to rely on the results of other teams to boost their hopes of a playoff berth.
For now, the re-energized Delhi outfit will look to win their third game in a row when they face an upbeat Mumbai Indians on Saturday at the Kotla. Zaheer Khan will once again warm the bench due to his injury which means Karun Nair will captain the side in his absence.
Here is how Delhi could line-up in the crunch tie:
Opener
Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson, along with Rishabh Pant, has emerged as one of the brightest prospects for the Delhi outfit. He smashed the maiden hundred of this year’s IPL and has looked in good touch in almost all the games thus far. Against the Gujarat Lions, his quick 31-ball 61 was instrumental in chasing a target of 209 with 15 balls to spare.
Lots of questions were raised when Samson was made to open the batting for Delhi but he has silenced his critics with some exceptional performances.
Karun Nair
Although Nair could not contribute in Delhi’s answer to Gujarat’s 209, he proved his worth against the Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier. With 39 off 20 balls, he gave his side a much-needed start by leading from the front in the absence of captain Zaheer Khan. Nair will look to bounce back against the table toppers to keep Delhi in the hunt for the playoffs.
Middle Order
Rishabh Pant
Pant’s promotion up the order in the previous two matches reaped huge benefits as he took the game away from the opposition with his blistering approach against both Hyderabad and Gujarat. Against the former, he scored a quick 34 from 20 deliveries, and against Gujarat, his heroics with the bat – a 43 ball 97 – took his side home. With the Champions Trophy squad yet to be announced, Pant will look to give it his all in the remainder of the tournament.
Shreyas Iyer
Iyer, who missed the first few matches due to an injury, has provided stability in the middle order. He looked in good form against Gujarat, scoring a quick 8-ball 14 to help Delhi win by a big margin. Iyer’s contributions will be vital if Delhi are to post big totals in their next few games.
All-rounders
Chris Morris
From the beginning of IPL 10, Chris Morris has been the best performer for the underperforming outfit. Although he hasn’t clicked in the last few matches, he can be the talisman for Delhi at a stage when every win is important. Morris was dropped for the last game but should return to the starting line-up in place of Marlon Samuels.
Corey Anderson
Anderson has performed reasonably well in the past few matches. He has shown his worth with both the bat and ball and is also a big asset as a fielder. With his significance in all three departments, it is unlikely that Delhi will keep him out of any of the upcoming matches. His big hitting lower down the order can prove to be a game-changer.
Bowlers
Pat Cummins
The Australian’s pace can be a great asset for Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla. He took two wickets in his four overs against Gujarat – those of Dinesh Karthik and Ishan Kishan – and will, in all probability, continue to feature in the remainder of Delhi’s campaign.
Kagiso Rabada
Rabada may have given away a lot of runs in the previous matches at the Kotla but against the Gujarat Lions, his opening spell was brilliant. He dismissed McCullum early to start proceedings for his side.
Shahbaz Nadeem
Nadeem was taken to the cleaners in the previous match against Gujarat as Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik took a liking to him. He ended up conceding 28 runs in his two overs, however, he should retain his place in the starting XI as Delhi would be unwilling to tinker with a winning combination.
Amit Mishra
Mishra bowled extremely well in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad as he gave away only 23 runs and picked up the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan as well. Given the slow nature of the wicket at the Kotla, he will be included in the playing XI again.
Mohammad Shami
Shami, who won the Man of the Match award for his brilliant bowling against the Sunrisers Hyderabad will continue to feature on the side. The fast bowler, who is on a comeback trail from injury, has played only three matches in the tournament so far. Against Hyderabad, he picked up the crucial wickets of David Warner and Kane Williamson. With the Champions Trophy approaching, he will want to make the most of the remaining matches in the IPL.
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