After two back-to-back losses, the Delhi Daredevils find themselves again in the bottom half of the points table and will have to fire on all cylinders when they take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in a must-win game in Raipur. The Zaheer Khan-led team are looking to draw on the positive experiences of having beaten Chennai Super Kings at the venue in 2015 and having beaten their current opponents comprehensively in Hyderabad earlier in VIVO IPL 2016.

As they approach the must-win game to keep their campaign alive, one of the areas that the Daredevils could take stock of is their batting line-up. While the young line-up has come up with some brilliant performances on various occasions, they have been found wanting in a few as well. Speaking about the team’s inconsistent batting performances, the Delhi Daredevils Assistant Coach Pravin Amre said, “That is an area we want to improve on, and (in the) game (tomorrow) especially. Once we bat well we are a different team. If we think about it, (when we) won against RCB was the game we batted the best. The way Quinton de Kock got a hundred in RCB’s home ground I think that was our best performance. We have to match that performance.”

“We also have very good memories of playing in Raipur. So far, we have won three home games in Delhi. We really hope that (in) tomorrow’s game (we have) home advantage and we are very hopeful that (we have) our home support (which) will be very vital, which we want for tomorrow’s game,” he said while speaking about the match against SRH on May 20.

Discussing the opposition, Amre said, “Sunrisers are the ones on top of the points table with 16 points. (For us) the positive is that when we went there (Hyderabad), we beat them on their home ground. (We will take confidence that we ended up) Beating the top team and also that we won very comfortably which was also very important. We batted brilliantly, (and) in fact bowled well to restrict them to 146 runs. The way we bowled was very critical and that is what we are hoping (to do), to be able to repeat that performance.”

“For the first time ever in IPL, the points table is such that anybody can qualify for the playoffs. Every game is crucial, so anything can happen. It is important we stay focussed, we stay positive and we believe in ourselves,” he added while speaking about the impending match against the David Warner-led team.

Assessing the opposition further, he elaborated, “We know that their openers are very strong, the way their left-handed bowlers bowl. I think (Ashish) Nehra is not there which will be a big loss for them; he is their main wicket-taker, a top bowler and so they are going to miss him. That again I think is an advantage for us. But what we are looking at is to give our best, play to our strengths the way we played our last game. That’s the good memory that we have got and I would say that on this ground also we have good memory.”

Asked if DD would be playing an extra batsman or a batting all-rounder to strengthen the batting against SRH, he said, “I think there are so many options right now. (However) We haven’t seen the wicket yet. We will see the wicket first, analyse the conditions and then decide.”

“The last time we won against SRH, Rishabh (Pant) played an important role - taking on their key left-arm bowlers,” he added.
Asked if JP Duminy would be promoted higher up the order, he reiterated that the call would be taken depending on the conditions, while adding that, “That game which we won, we promoted Rishabh. So according to the opponent’s attack, if the left-arm bowlers are bowling, then JP or Rishabh will be promoted.”

While they play their penultimate game in their adopted home venue, the Daredevils will be drawing on the positive memories of winning at the ground when they take the field in their penultimate match of the season. “We have won six of 12 matches, so 50% of our performance has been good. I feel that in the IPL how you start is not as important but how you finish is very important and that is what we are hopeful about. The next two games are important and we are focussing on this one match (first) where we will be playing against Hyderabad. They are the top team and if we beat the top team then we will come into the competition,” Amre stated before heading off to supervise the team’s practice session.