IPL 2018: 5 Players who can help DD stage a coup against CSK

From being among the best beneficiaries of the mega-auction to languishing at the bottom of the points table after the half-way mark in the tournament, Delhi Daredevils (DD) have seen it all. They had one of the best bowling attacks in the tournament with some like-for-like replacements in their reserves. But somehow their bowling unit didn’t click before their fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), putting extra pressure on the batting ranks to fill in for that void. Their batsmen, too, shone in patches while the opening pair remained a work-in-progress until the last game against KKR, which saw Gautam Gambhir dropping himself in the best interests of the team.

DD, under Shreyas Iyer, put up a clinical performance against KKR the other night to give renewed hopes of resurgence to their fans. They are up against a formidable Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their next fixture. Here, we take a look at five key players who can help them upset CSK in their den.

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#1 Shreyas Iyer

Iyer was brilliant in his captaincy debut against KKR

The new skipper of Delhi Daredevils had a dream captaincy debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) where he blasted away the KKR bowling attack en-route his 40-ball 93 and showed great tactical nous in the second half of the match to help his team register its second victory in seven games. There were many apprehensions regarding his ability to inspire the sagging Delhi spirits but he did a commendable job on his first day at the office to ground his critics into silence.

He batted with great responsibility after the fall of Colin Munro's wicket could have proved costly for Delhi. He will be in focus again as the leader of a resurgent Daredevils line-up, which will take on the mighty Chennai Super Kings in Pune.

#2 Rishabh Pant

Pant needs to find his consistency to help his team's wobbly campaign

It has been a kind of on-and-off season for Rishabh Pant so far. He is a gifted player who likes to take the attack to the opposition bowlers. He is touted as the next big wicket-keeper batsman for India after MS Dhoni but needs to step up his consistency which, regularly, has been the prime weapon of his critics. He is a kind of an impact player who can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition as was the case against Bangalore where he scored a belligerent 85 off just 48 balls to steer his team into safe waters, only to be let down by a shabby bowling performance in the second half.

CSK will target to snap him out quickly to break the backbone of the DD middle-order. He was done in by the low bounce of an Andre Russell delivery in the previous fixture against KKR but will be raring to put back his recent travails to come back roaring against the Super Kings.

#3 Prithvi Shaw

Shaw played some mesmerizing strokes against KKR

Prithvi Shaw has been the biggest plus-point for DD from their last two games. He struck a blistering half-century against KKR in the last match, which laid a solid foundation for Shreyas Iyer to launch his assault later in the innings. He may be diminutive in his appearance but has a fearsome intent that helped him deliver against the established bowlers like Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mitchell Johnson. His flick of the wrists over mid-wicket off the bowling of Johnson exemplifies his courage and determination to take on the biggest names in the bowling arena.

CSK will have to be cautious while dealing with him as he can pounce on any opportunity gifted to him. DD will be hoping that he just continues his good work at the top, which will help them rise from their bottom position in the points table.

#4 Liam Plunkett

Plunkett has sharpened the bowling teeth of DD

Plunkett has been the turn-around bowler for DD so far as with his arrival into the XI, Trent Boult has got the much-needed support in the pace bowling department. He has played two games so far and has picked up three wickets at a frugal average of 13.67. He has the best economy of 5.12 amongst the Delhi bowlers.

With his inclusion, the DD bowling unit now reflects the penetrative strength that can give the best of teams a run for their money. His bowling has been superb in the middle and death overs so far. In addition to his bowling prowess, he is also a capable batsman lower down the order. A player of his calibre surely has the ability to turn-around the campaign for the Daredevils.

#5 Avesh Khan

Avesh Khan has been impressive in his two outings so far

Avesh hogged into the limelight even before playing for Delhi this season as he was a part of bowling triumvirate that had flown to South Africa to help the Indian batsmen in their net practice. He partnered with Ankit Rajpoot and Basil Thampi in this endeavor. He has so far played two games in the tournament and has picked up four wickets at a good average of 16.25.

He has been impressive in his two IPL outings this season with his nippy deliveries. He can swing the new ball both ways and can regularly clock more than 140kmph in the speedometer. His tall body helps him extract extra bounce from the pitch, something that troubled the CSK batsmen in their last outing in Pune against Mumbai. So, he definitely is a key player for DD against CSK.