Indian Premier League season five is getting interesting by each passing day. Teams who were earlier looking certain are struggling to get the final points to seal their position in the playoffs, and teams who were almost out of the tournament have made a strong comeback. One such team, Kings XI Punjab will take on the table-toppers Delhi Daredevils.

Daredevils is one such team who will play in the playoffs because of the points that they have and the healthy run-rate that they got, Kings XI who are on 14 points will know that they can’t afford to lose this game as if they lose they will be almost out of the race for the qualifiers. It has been one unpredictable season and anything can happen. It would have been very easy to say that Delhi is the favorites if we would have been in the second week of the tournament, but the way tournament has progressed, no team carries the favorites tag anymore.

Let’s have a look at some of the players who can make the difference for their side.

Delhi Daredevils:

David Warner: He is one of the most devastating players in the world; he has already made an impression in this year’s IPL with a superb ton. Warner looks to attack right from the first ball and is very effective with that. Warner is dangerous against any opposition as he can destroy the bowling plans for any team.

Virender Sehwag: He has been the most menacing batsmen in this season. He has the all time best strike rate in IPL’s and he is playing like a man on mission. Sehwag has single-handedly won Delhi many matches and it is because of his efforts that Delhi is on the top of the table. Punjab will know it that they have to get rid of Delhi if they want to win the match.

Morne Morkel: Morkel has been bowling well throughout the tournament, but he had a bad outing against Chennai. Morkel is the current holder of the purple cap and he has looked almost unplayable at times. He is very threatening with the new ball and can bowl some steep bouncers.

Umesh Yadav: Yadav has bowled well in patches, but the biggest problem for Delhi has been that he has not been inconsistent and has been conceding far too many runs for his wickets. Yadav has a deadly Yorker and can take some important wickets if and when needed.

Kings XI Punjab:

Shaun Marsh: It is a very important match for Kings XI and the big players will have to rise up to the occasion. Marsh has been a prolific run-scorer for Punjab in the past and he needs to play one here. Punjab will need their batsmen to be at their best as Delhi has been in good run-scoring form.

David Hussey: He played a brilliant innings in the match against Deccan Chargers. Hussey was one of the most important reasons why Punjab was able to pull up the miraculous run chase to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. Hussey is a brilliant finisher and Punjab will need a captain’s innings from him.

Azhar Mahmood: He has been bowling brilliantly for the Kings XI and has taken some of the more important wickets. Mahmood is a very experienced when it comes to playing T20 cricket and his bowling has made a lot of difference for his team. He is also very dangerous with the bat and can win the game with his batting.

Piyush Chawla: He is the highest wicket taker from Kings XI Punjab team with 15 wickets. He has been bowling beautifully and has taken wickets at important stages. Chawla is a crafty customer and loves bowling to big batsmen. He will have to be at his best as he will be bowling to some of the most dangerous batsmen in the world.     




By Gaurav Jha

Indian Sports News