IPL 2016 Match 26, KKR and Delhi Daredevils engage to stay in Top 4

Kolkata Knight Riders have donned their usual settled look this season. Delhi Daredevils, on the other hand, have somehow managed to stay in contention for a Top 4 slot despite having a unit that seems to be overloaded with underperforming youngsters. The head to head stats are favorable for KKR. Out of 16 matches played so far, KKR has won 9 while DD has won just 6 and 1 match got abondoned. 

Untested middle order cause of worries for Kolkata 

Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir have been at the helm of KKR’s charge this year. The duo’s opening partnerships have made sure that the middle order is left with little to do in most of the matches this season. However, this has also been responsible for the middle order not being able to test itself out in the middle. The abject slowness in the KKR run rate towards the end of innings against Mumbai Indians (that ultimately cost them the match) was a manifestation of how untested the KKR middle order batting is. 

While Manish Pandey’s unfortunate injury has necessitated changes in the batting order, the constant shuffling has not been helpful for most of the batsmen. Shakib Al Hasan has looked completely out of sorts, while Surya Kumar Yadav and Yusuf Pathan are yet to get a firm footing on this year’s IPL. 

Match Date: 30 April 2016, 1600 Hrs IST
Match Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi
Weather:
Temperature: Max 43°c, Min 39°c
Humidity: Max 8%
Wind: 20kmph

Daredevils chances marred by unstable top order

Delhi’s problems in the batting department appear to be the exact opposite of their opponents. While JP Duminy and Chris Morris lend a semblance of solidity to the middle order, the top order’s resources have looked skeletal so far. Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson and Karun Nair have been inconsistent, and Quinton de Kock can not be expected to play the lone hand in every match. This leaves the Delhi batting department vulnerable to any good bowling attack in this tournament. And surely, the Knight Riders would love to exploit such a weakness on Saturday.