The 13th match of this season of Indian Premier League (IPL) shall see Delhi Daredevils feature in their fourth consecutive away match. Under pressure, Kolkata Knight Riders are scheduled to host Gautam Gambhir-led Delhi at the iconic Eden Gardens on Monday evening (April 16).
Gambhir’s side would be thrilled after registering a win at Wankhede – to see themselves opening the account owing to the points table.
Whereas, Dinesh Karthik would be demoralised after two successive losses on the trot.
Have a look at the predicted XI of Delhi Daredevils against Knight Riders;
Gautam Gambhir:
Gautam Gambhir will be back to his beloved ground at Eden Gardens but this time he will be leading a team from the opposition team. It would be interesting to see the reception from the Kolkata crowd when Gambhir takes the guard at the crease.
The southpaw appeared rusty in Daredevils’ outing against Mumbai Indians. The newly-appointed skipper displayed immense experience when his bowlers were plundered by Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav.
His aggressive captaincy brought his team back into the game against Mumbai during the backend of their innings.
Jason Roy:
Gambhir was bold in making with Colin Munro sitting out to allow England’s opener Jason Roy being brought into the scheme of things.
The move paid dividends for Delhi instantaneously as Roy single-handedly took his team across the finishing line with his 53-ball 91.
Hard-hitting Roy entertained with six boundaries and six maximums during his knock going at a strike rate of 171. Against KKR, the hard-hitting sensation certainly will hold the key for the Daredevils.
Rishabh Pant:
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant ensured that Delhi Daredevils where always at par with the required run-rate following his blistering knock of 47 which came off just 25 deliveries.
Pant displayed the value he brings to the table as he smashed six boundaries and a couple of sixes.
Glenn Maxwell:
Continuing from the momentum generated by Pant and Roy up front, Glenn Maxwell tried to chip in with a useful cameo. However, Maxwell could only hit a boundary and a six respectively during his brief stay. He scored 13 off six deliveries.
With the Big Show, a big knock is always round the corner for the Australian. Maxi was equally responsible for MI’s retardation during the last 10 overs, going at only seven runs per over when the rest were going above 10.
Shreyas Iyer:
The two Young Turks retained by Delhi Daredevils, prior to the two-day mega-auction, displayed immense maturity during a high scoring run chase. Iyer kept the required run rate in check with his 20-ball 27.
Batting at number five, Iyer’s role would be finishing off games for his side while supporting match winners in their lineup.
Dan Christian:
Yet another bold move for Gambhir in the previous match was making ineffective Chris Morris sit out of the game and introducing Dan Christian again into the XI.
In the end, his two moves turned out to be masterstrokes as Christian ended up with a couple of wickets to inflict pain upon the Mumbai Indians during the fag end of the innings.
Christian is handy with the bat lower down the order, so one might expect more from Christian, given Morris’ form with the ball.
Vijay Shankar:
Another important member of the Delhi Daredevils side, Vijay Shankar provides the balance in the side with both bat and ball.
However, his bowling services haven’t been used much in the three matches played so far. Shankar would want to shut down his critics by putting an end to his batting woes.
Rahul Tewatia:
Rahul Tewatia was the force for Daredevils which curbed the flow of runs for the Mumbai Indians.
This was the third consecutive game where Tewatia displayed his brilliance with the ball in hand – to become a force to reckon with, in the DD camp.
Trent Boult:
After going for plenty during the powerplays, the Kiwi pulled it back brilliantly to end up with a respectable figure.
Boult used his experience to execute slower deliveries, cutters, and variation in line and length to great effect. It eventually saw him picking a couple of wickets for his side.
Mohammed Shami:
Much like Boult, Mohammad Shami also made a brilliant comeback for his side. He contained the batsmen to restrict the flow of runs during the death.
Shami’s economy was a cause of concern for Daredevils’ management. But in the last couple of matches, the fast bowler made amends for his expenses in the past.
Shahbaz Nadeem:
Promising spinner, Shahbaz Nadeem was used for only a couple of overs where he proved to be expensive.
The gamble of bringing in Nadeem with the new ball did not quite work in favour of the Delhi Daredevils. But he is that sort of a bowler who could turn things in his team’s favour.
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