Match Preview: Chennai's fate depends on this match
Date: Saturday, May 12
Time: 20:00 hrs (1430 GMT)
Venue: M.A Chidambaram stadium, Chennai
Dhoni's form has been a major concern
Chennai Super Kings go into this match knowing that a win here will make their claim for the play-offs stronger. Chennai team is known to be a slow starter, but unlike other seasons the competition is more challenging this time.
With only Pune and Deccan out now, the tournament looks very much alive. Only two teams, Delhi and Kolkata, have secured their place for the next stage of the league while Chennai fights with Rajasthan, Mumbai and Punjab for their spot.
The Super Kings has had their problems to cope with. Even in their last game against Rajasthan, where they were chasing a modest total, they had to be rescued from a perilous position. Their star players have failed consistently — Dhoni, Raina and Ashwin have performed nowhere near their ability. In fact, Dhoni has looked clueless with his captaincy, regularly changing the batting order. It hasn’t helped that they haven’t been able to find a fixed partner for Faf du Plessis at the top.
Their opponents, Delhi Daredevils, are in form like never before. This season, they have won nine out of their 13 matches. The best thing for them has been the form and consistency of their top players like Sehwag, Pietersen and Morne Morkel. With Pietersen leaving for international duties the opponents must have expected some relief, but David Warner, hitting his second IPL hundred, showed them in the last match that happiness will remain a far-fetched dream for their bowlers.
Players to watch out for
Chennai Super Kings
Albie Morkel — Surprisingly sidelined and amazingly consistent, the other half of the Morkel brothers has performed whenever his team has needed him to. But placed in the batting position below Ravindra Jadeja is a thing to question. Morkel has faced only 59 deliveries in this IPL, while his teammates, who have failed to deliver, have been persisted with at the top of the order.
Srikkanth Aniruddha — Long been joked around, because he is the son of the selector-in-chief, Aniruddha isn’t as bad a player that he is made out to be. With failures of regular opener Murli Vijay, and the make-shifts they have tried, it only looks logical to promote the young batsman up to that slot.
Delhi Daredevils
Virender Sehwag — Virender Sehwag is playing the way he have known and the way we want him to play. Being one of the top run-scorers this season, Viru has amassed 472 runs at 42.90 — at a strike rate of over 166. From the regularity he has shown in getting them, we can predict that Chennai bowlers are going to have a tough time.
Morne Morkel — Morkel along with Dale Steyn is the deadliest pair in international cricket today and we in India know why it is so. The fast bowler has 21 wickets from the 12 matches he has played in, and they came at an average of 15.85.
Head to Head
2.5.2008 – Chennai, Chennai Delhi won by 8 wickets
8.5.2008 – Delhi, Chennai Chennai won by 4 wickets
23.4.2009 – Durban, Delhi Delhi won by 9 runs
2.5.2009 – Johannesburg, Delhi Chennai won by 18 runs
19.3.2010 – Delhi, Delhi Chennai won by 5 wickets
15.4.2010 – Chennai, Chennai Delhi won by 6 wickets
Trivia: The marauder Dhoni has hit 59 sixes overall in the IPL. He has hit only two this season.
Prediction: We are expecting miracle from Chennai Super Kings