What

The Delhi Daredevils will clash with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Match 26 of Pepsi IPL 2015.

Both teams head into this contest fresh from wins in their respective previous matches. While DD outclassed the Mumbai Indians on Thursday, RCB got the better of the Rajasthan Royals in clinical fashion in Ahmedabad.

When

26 April 2015, 8p.m. IST

Where

Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium, New Delhi

The Protagonists

Delhi Daredevils have found a new star in Shreyas Iyer. Though he has grown up playing cricket in Mumbai, he is not the traditional Mumbaikar, in that he is not afraid to play his strokes. He is the kind of batsman who times the cricket ball rather than muscle it. The 20-year old from Mumbai told iplt20.com after the match against the Mumbai Indians that the role given to him by the team management was to bat past the eighth over. He did that successfully on that occasion, scoring a match-winning 83. Will he be able to play that role yet again and set the stage for the stroke-makers like Yuvraj Singh and Angelo Mathews?

Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers – that was RCB’s top three in their previous match against the Rajasthan Royals. That is possibly the way RCB can get the most of the three best batsmen in the side. That order is like a double-edged sword though; for, when the three batsmen get going, they will more often than not walk away with the match. But on days when they fail, there are few other match-winners in the rest of the lineup. On the bowling front, Mitchell Starc, much to the delight of RCB fans, has carried his form from the World Cup.

Contests to look-forward to

There’s a new facet that Chris Gayle has added to his game. These days, the RCB opener makes the conscious attempt to spend more time at the wicket, and backs himself to destroy the bowling in the latter half of the innings. If he is able to do that successfully against the Delhi Daredevils, he will come up against two very smart operators in Imran Tahir and Amit Mishra. The duel between Gayle and the two leg-spinners – if it materialises – could make for interesting viewing.

Mitchell Starc is a pitch-the-ball-up kind of bowler. How he adjusts his length - if and when he comes up against Yuvraj Singh and JP Duminy – will be interesting to watch.

Previous Meetings

RCB have a 8-5 win-loss record in IPL matches against the Delhi Daredevils.

Virat Kohli’s side has won their last seven matches against DD; the last time DD got the better of RCB was in the 2010 season of IPL. When these two teams met last season, Yuvraj Singh – then sporting the RCB jersey - shone in both matches, scoring half-centuries. In the first match in Sharjah, Yuvraj Singh and Kohli were involved in an 84-run stand as RCB chased down 146 with ease. In the return fixture in Bengaluru, Yuvraj Singh shredded the DD attack scoring an unbeaten 68 from 29 balls which helped his team post 186 runs on the board. DD could only manage 170-7 in their chase.

Trivia

Virat Kohli registered his highest score in the IPL against the Delhi Daredevils; he made 99 from 58 balls at the Ferozeshah Kotla in RCB’s four-run victory.

Virat Kohli averages 80.67 in IPL matches at the Ferozeshah Kotla. His scores in the five IPL innings at the venue read: 99, 73*, 56, 13 & 1*.

What Next

Delhi Daredevils’ next outing – after a 4-day break - will be the home fixture against Kings XI Punjab on May 1. RCB meanwhile head back home for their return fixture against the Rajasthan Royals, scheduled for 29 April.