What

The Delhi Daredevils will clash with Kings XI Punjab in Match 31 of Pepsi IPL 2015. Both teams have played half their season’s fixtures, and lie in the bottom half of the table. DD have three wins and lie sixth, while KXIP have only two wins and lie at the floor of the table.

After the 95 all out and the 10-wicket defeat in their previous match, DD might just eye making a fresh start to the competition. If they can win four or five of the remaining seven matches, they will sure be contenders for a Playoff position. On paper, the team comprises of fantastic individuals; what the team needs is for all the individuals to come together and perform collectively as a unit. It was the collective effort that resulted in DD’s wins, and the team will take plenty of confidence from knowing that KXIP is one of the two teams they have defeated this season. Zaheer Khan, the most-experienced pacer in their ranks, was reported 95% fit a few days ago. Yuvraj Singh indicated in his interaction with the media on the eve of the match that the left-arm paceman is likely to make it to the DD XI on the day; his addition will be a huge boost to the team.

The KXIP team this season isn’t too different to the one that raced to the Final in Pepsi IPL 2014. However a year later, the team is yet to click as a unit. Glenn Maxwell has been woefully out of form and as a result cannot command a place in the XI, while the team just cannot seem to buy runs from their opening pair. That George Bailey, generally batting at 5-6-7, is the team’s top run-getter clearly establishes that the batsmen batting higher in the order haven’t done their job. Heading into this match, KXIP have a few injury worries to contend with. KXIP coach Sanjay Bangar revealed after his team’s practice session on Thursday that the injuries of Bailey (shoulder) and Shaun Marsh (toe) would be reviewed on the morning of the match and a decision on their participation in the match taken then. If either of them is ruled out, it could open up the door for Maxwell, which could just come to the team as a blessing in disguise.

When

1 May 2015, 4p.m. IST

Where

Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium, Delhi

The Protagonists

At the top of the innings, Delhi Daredevils will expect Shreyas Iyer to bat past the six over mark, as advocated by his coach Pravin Amre, while KXIP will expect Murali Vijay to drop anchor. Among the others who can do plenty of damage are JP Duminy and Yuvraj Singh in the Delhi Daredevils ranks, and David Miller (and possibly Glenn Maxwell) in the KXIP lineup.

On the bowling front, DD will look towards their leg-spin pair of Imran Tahir and Amit Mishra to strangle their opponents and buy them wickets, while KXIP will look towards Sandeep Sharma and Mitchell Johnson to do the bulk of the damage.

Contests to look-forward to

Mitchell Johnson bowling to JP Duminy and Yuvraj Singh promises to make for good viewing. The KXIP paceman will want to settle scores – after going wicket-less and being taken for 42 runs in the previous match against DD. Yuvraj Singh, in particular, scored 15 runs off 10 runs off the left-arm paceman.

The other contest to look forward to involves the two Delhi Daredevils leg-spinners – Imran Tahir and Amit Mishra. How the two leggies far when they bowl to Glenn Maxwell, who could get a look-in, and David Miller, could make for some exciting cricket.

Previous Meetings