Delhi Daredevils will host the Pune Warriors in the second big match of the day, what makes this match interesting is the way things have gone for both the sides in the recent past. Daredevils looked ordinary when they started the tournament, but with the inclusion of some foreign boys, they are looking like a side to beat. They are at the top of the table with four wins out of the five matches that they have played. They are also the best in-terms of net run-rate and are looking to go at least till the playoffs.
Pune Warriors on the other hand started the tournament on a high and were once the leader in the points table. The last few matches have not gone according to the plan and that resulted in them slipping to number fourth in the points table. The match will see some of the most exciting talent take part; let’s have a look at some of them:
Delhi Daredevils:
Mahela Jayawardene: A lot has been expected from the Sri Lankan captain, but he has still not played a substantial innings. Delhi has won all the matches since the time this Sri Lankan great joined the team, but it is largely because of Kevin Pietersen that Delhi has done so well. Mahela will be looking to exhibit his talent in front of the Delhi crowd.
Yogesh Nagar: This young batsman may not have the same persona as some of his colleagues but he sure does have the talent. He played responsibly in Delhi’s win over Deccan Chargers; he supported KP quite perfectly and rotated the strike beautifully. He also has the talent to clear the ground if needed.
Umesh Yadav: This sensational fast bowler has not bowled the way everyone expected him to bowl. He has not been in the wickets and has been overshadowed by the South African giant, Morne Morkel. Umesh needs to get his act together as Delhi needs him to be at his best if they want to make further progress.
Kevin Pietersen: Pietersen showed what he is capable of with the bat in the last innings that he played, but he is very effective with the ball as well. Sehwag opened with Pietersen in the last match and he did not bowl that badly. He has a habit of breaking partnerships.
Pune Warriors:
Robin Uthappa: The explosive batsman from Karnataka has already played some good innings for the Warriors. He is batting at his favorite position and has dominated the opening bowlers in some of his innings. Uthappa likes taking the attack to the bowler and he will have to do it again if they want to set a competitive target against the strong Delhi batting line-up.
Jesse Ryder: Pune has done well whenever this explosive Kiwi batsman has batted for a substantial time. Ryder is looking in good touch and has been among the runs. He is timing the ball beautifully and is a threat to any opposition.
Ashish Nehra: He was the man responsible for Pune losing against Bangalore, but in the last match against Chennai he was at his best and bowled beautifully. Nehra is one of the most experienced Indian fast bowlers and he will have to be at his best against the Daredevils.
Marlon Samuels: He is a very handy off-spinner and bowls a natural length which is very hard to hit for a batsman. He can bowl some very quick Yorkers for a spinner and has the ability to pick important wickets.
By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News
