IPL 6: Match 1 - KKR vs DD - Delhi Daredevils Preview

The sixth season of the IPL has begun on the wrong foot with a host of injury woes and high profile absentees for Delhi Daredevils. Not only do they face the wrong questions, they also take on the mighty Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening match. The Delhi boys have been the underachievers in the IPL with two semifinals and a play-off under their belt. They start off brilliantly but have somehow lost the plot regularly in the business end of the tournament.

This season, Mahela and his men would be out there to prove the critics wrong. But even before they take the field, a string of bad news have plagued them. First, the unavailability of Kevin Pietersen and then the assault on Jesse Ryder has left the Daredevils batting line-up in a tangle. The swap of Ross Taylor for Ashish Nehra weakened the batting, and with Sehwag pulling out of the opening game due to a back spasm, the entire batting will hinge on David Warner, Mahela Jayawardene and the upcoming Indian star Unmukt Chand. Against a bowling attack that includes Brett Lee, Sunil Narine, L. Balaji and Jacques Kallis, the Delhi batting might just be found wanting.

However, Delhi has always boasted of a dangerous pace attack and this season they have bolstered the slow bowling department. The addition of Johan Botha and Jeevan Mendis has provided them with the cutting edge they needed on the slower tracks of Chennai and Kolkata. The fast bowling will be led by Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav while Irfan Pathan will come back after an injury lay-off. The presence of Ajit Agarkar and Andre Russell will enhance the fast bowling reserves while Ashish Nehra will look to make his mark.

Delhi may have a few issues with the big players, but their domestic core is perhaps one of the finest. Led by Unmukt Chand, Delhi comprises of a few of India’s finest youngsters in CM Gautam, Sidharth Kaul, Shahbaz Nadeem, Kedar Yadav and Manprit Juneja.

Conditions

Though the Eden Gardens has traditionally helped the spinners, the Delhi pacers ransacked the Knights last time they played there. Though the pitch will be slow and low, the lively pace of Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel would test the opposition on any track. The humidity might help Pathan to swing a few while Botha and Jeevan Mendis would love to take advantage of the slowness of the track.

Head to Head

Though the 10 matches head to head shows a close 5-4 in favour of the Knight Riders, Delhi has lost 3 of the last five that they have played against them. Last season, in a rain curtailed game, Morne Morkel ran through the much famed Knight Riders, routing them for a mere 97. However, the Knights bounced back in the return game thanks to a fantastic half century from Brendon McCullum.

Key Players

Unmukt Chand – The Indian U-19 World Cup winning captain has been the buzz of the season. He has not only grabbed the eyeballs of the experts but also has been touted as the “next big thing” of Indian cricket. In the absence of Pietersen, he will occupy the number 3 batting slot and the team will look for a significant contribution from him.

David Warner – Warner has never had a great IPL. He has played a few good innings but has flattered to deceive in most. After a modest tour of India, Warner will be looking to come good in this IPL, and with a few stars missing from the line up, this might well be the opportunity for the hard hitting Aussie to carry his team home.

DD’s strategy:

Win the toss, bat first and unleash Morkel. With a steady bowling line up, the Daredevils can actually defend any score. However, it’s important to get a substantial score against a team like Knight Riders, who themselves have a solid batting line up. With Jayawardene, Warner and Chand at the top, Delhi’s batting is top heavy. They might send Naman Ojha up and get Mahela at four so as to get some experience down in the batting order.

Possible XI:

A tough one to predict. With no Sehwag, Delhi might have to opt for someone like CM Gautam or Kedar Yadav. But on an Eden Gardens pitch, they might just look to play either Botha or Jeevan Mendis along with Shahbaz Nadeem.

Mahela Jayawardene (c), David Warner, Unmukt Chand, Naman Ojha(wk), Kedar Yadav/CM Gautam, Venugopal Rao, Johan Botha, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Morne Morkel, Shahbaz Nadeem.