Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils: 6 factors to look out for

Chennai Super Kings take on Delhi Daredevils in what will prove to be a crucial encounter for the latter, who have already lost 4 of their matches. Table toppers CSK will look to continue their good run of form, while DD will look to pry out of the rut they find themselves in. This article looks at the players and the factors who could make a big difference to this game.

#1 CSK opening pair

CSK's new opening pair of Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith have brought in a new lease of life to the franchise with their attacking batting at the top. This could be the final piece in the jigsaw for the Super Kings. The pair has scored 433 runs between them in Chennai's first 5 matches. They feature in 4 of this season's 8 highest partnerships and will be key to CSK's fortunes. If they get going, DD's bowling attack may be in a spot of bother.

#2 Kevin Pietersen

Although he hasn't found his feet yet, Pietersen is one of the world's most destructive batsmen. If he manages to settle down, he can rip apart the opposition with utmost ease. CSK will have to be wary of the Englishman who has a T20 strike rate of 138.27. He is an impact player; his presence at the crease will up the morale in the Daredevils camp. DD will want KP to get going and, in the process, kickstart the DD engine to life.

#3 CSK\'s young pace battery

CSK's young pace battery, which comprises of Mohit Sharma and uncapped Ishwar Pandey, have been doing well in this tournament. They have been the key to the team in restricting the opposition to average totals. Their ability to move the ball both ways has bamboozled batsmen. Not only have they picked up wickets at key intervals, they have also been very economical.

The economy rates of Ishwar (6.35) and Mohit (6.53) are mind-boggling considering the batting standard in the IPL. This duo has been effective in the Powerplay as well as the death overs. This gives Dhoni the option to mix and match and ensure a greater variety in his bowling line up.

#4 The spinners

Since the IPL is back to the subcontinent, the spinners will have a huge role to play in the middle overs. They will have to control the flow of runs, get through their overs quickly and hope to pick up a few wickets in the process. CSK's spinning duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin has been very successful in doing this on countless number of occassions.

Their ability with the bat makes them an even more valuable asset to the team. DD, on the other hand, need to find a good spinning combination. Duminy in recent times has emerged as a pretty handy off-spinner. Shahbaz Nadeem, their front line spinner, hasn't been consistent. The management could look to Rahul Sharma, who had a pretty good season last year, picking up 9 wickets at an economy of 6.85.

#5 JP Duminy

JP Duminy is the most vital cog in the Delhi line-up. He excels in all three departments: batting, bowling and fielding. His batting has been top notch this season. He has scored 212 runs at an average of 70.66. He hasn't yet picked up a wicket, but he has been very economical with the ball going for just 6.64 runs per over.

He recently entered the 4000 run club in T20 cricket as well, only the 14th player to do so. His performance in this game will be crucial for the Daredevils. He has to forge a partnership with KP to ensure that the DD batting doesn't go astray.

#6 CSK\'s fielding

CSK's fielding, particularly inside the circle, has been excellent. As they say, "catches win matches". This is the mantra that CSK has been following. Barring the Glenn Maxwell catches that Ashish Nehra and Samuel Badree dropped, CSK are having fun in the field. The antics of fielders like Faf du Plessis, Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Mcullum have lighted up the stadiums so far.

Easy singles aren't given away, and the pressure builds on the batting side, leading to the opposition wickets falling cheapy. Recently, Ishwar Pandey attributed his bowling success to CSK's fielding efforts.