IPL 2017: Match 18 – Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders – DD predicted XI

We are into a week in the tenth edition of IPL and already a lot has been going around the tournament. Lots of star players joining their camps again, players, who are not expected, opening up the innings, and hattrick! Lastly. a lot of nail-biting and jaw-dropping, While enticing matches that have led people to stay glued!

Both these teams are having a mixed season. While Kolkata has emerged again to be one of the strongest contenders on the block, Delhi seems to catch them up.

Unlike other years, Delhi seems to have started their campaign well and looks promising for 22 yards. The Daredevils lost their first game, whereas, they overpowered Rising Pune Supergiant in the following contest.

After narrowly missing out in the first game despite Rishabh Pant’s innings, Daredevils bounced back strongly to record a massive 97 run victory – their best in terms of runs in the ten-year history of the tournament.

On other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders have done it all and carried the reputation of one of the most consistent performers in the league. Winning the first match commendably after the highest opening run stand, they suffered a loss against Mumbai Indians but bounced back well and strong against the Kings XI Punjab thus taking a top position in the league table. This time  KKR would be locking horns with the Delhi on their home ground. Would the home team shake off their tagline and emerge victoriously?

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTER:

DD and KKR have played 18 times against each other in IPL. While KKR won 10 out of 18, DD won 7 and one match got abandoned. Both the teams played against each other 17 times in group stages and only once in Playoffs where KKR defeated Delhi in IPL 2012 preliminary play-off match

RECENT FROM THIS SEASON:

Delhi Daredevils: L, W

KolkataRiders: W , L , W

TALKING POINTS :

DD have regained their composure after a dodgy start with a fine win over Sunrisers Hyderabad and Zaheer Khan’s men are now looking more confident.

Delhi’s batting received a major jolt ahead of the season, when the team was robbed of two of their mainstays in JP Duminy and Quinton de Kock. The department still remains a work in progress despite boasting of IPL 2017’s first centurion of the season Sanju Samson and destructive batters like Pant and Chris Morris in their ranks.

Their bowling has been up to the mark, led by the experienced Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra. They restricted the Royal Challengers Bangalore to 157 in Chinnaswamy. Up next, against Rising Pune Supergiant, when the batsmen made merry, Zaheer and Mishra shared six wickets between them to help Delhi to bag first points.Shreyas Iyer, who was ruled out of at least the first week of IPL with a bout of chicken pox, is back in the nets and practising. Mishra, in the pre-match conference.Angelo Matthews, who has now joined the squad, is also available for selection but faces competition from Corey Anderson and Carlos Brathwaite.

PREDICTED XI :

Aditya Tare/Shreyas Iyer, Sam Billings, Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Corey Anderson/Angelo Matthews/Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Morris, Pat Cummins, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Zaheer Khan.

Can Daredevils turn Feroz Shah Kotla into a fortress, like they so efficiently did in the preceding season? Teams have known to carry their tagline on next season and to look back Delhi were always out of the talk of table toppers or strong contenders, It would be interesting to see how they shake off all this and buck up to win against the riders, Whereas, the Knights are ruling the IPL in shinning armour!