Preview: Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders

The business end of the tournament is upon us, with the playoff stage kicking off with the battle of the table giants – Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders at Pune today. By virtue of being in the top two positions, these two teams avoid the eliminator and the team that loses today’s match will get another chance to make it the finals by going up against the winner of the teams at the 3rd and 4th positions. The playoff format thus ensures that the most consistent teams get two shots at making the final, while one of the next two teams will have to win two playoff matches to prove themselves worthy of being in the final.

The Daredevils come packed with a battery of fearsome pacers and power hitters. Morne Morkel has been the highest wicket taker this season with 25 scalps from 15 outings with an average of 16.64 and economy rate of 7.05. Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron have given able support with their own brand of aggressive bowling, with youngsters Shahbaz Nadeem and Pawan Negi chipping in with wily spin skills. Almost all their batsmen have put runs on the board, with Warner and Taylor coming into their own when Sehwag’s fusillade of runs has been absent. This is a team that has displayed some persistent aggression throughout the tournament, and comes brimming with confidence into the playoffs.

After four indifferent seasons, the Kolkata Knight Riders have finally got their talented resources to come together and play as a team in some highly disciplined performances. While their batting has relied on good starts provided by the skipper Gambhir throughout the season, the other batsmen have slowly and steadily found their forms at the tail end of the league stage and will put on display a solid batting line-up against the famed Delhi bowling unit. Their strength however, has been the bowling department, where they have consistently stifled the batting oppositions with some meticulous and guileful bowling. Sunil Narine has continued to confound batsmen with his variations, and is leading the spinners’ club with 22 wickets from 13 matches so far at an impressive average of 11.95 and economy rate of 5.14. Contributions from Brett Lee, Laxmipathy Balaji, Rajat Bhatia, Jacques Kallis and Shakib Al Hasan have smothered many batting stalwarts this season, and Delhi’s big hitters will find it hard to counter attack such a bowling line-up.

Meetings this season

Delhi beat Kolkata at Eden Gardens in a rain-affected match in their first encounter, while Kolkata avenged that defeat in Delhi with a 6-wicket win by successfully chasing a score of 153.

Players to watch out for

Delhi Daredevils

Virender Sehwag

The Delhi skipper has scored 484 runs at a strike rate of 164.62 this season, which includes an incredible run of five consecutive fifties. After a few quiet outings towards the end of the league stage, Sehwag will now be looking forward to making another mammoth contribution and helping Delhi reach its first IPL final. Kolkata bowlers will know that the key to suffocating the Delhi batting line-up will be to get Sehwag out early, or the explosive opening batsman could bat them out of the game before they know it.

Morne Morkel

The tall South African bowler has been the only pacer along with Malinga who has used yorkers with devastating effect and consistently troubled batsmen with surprising bounce and movement. His task will be to take out Gambhir early and leave a vulnerable Kolkata middle order open to attack from the rest of the Delhi bowlers. While most pacers have struggled to contain runs at the death, Morkel has consistently posed problems in his second spells by putting brakes on the scoring with some remarkable toe-crushers and slower variations. Kolkata would do well to see him off and reserve their aggression for the other bowlers.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Gautam Gambhir

Having scored six fifties this season and shouldering the Knight Riders’ innings to safety on many occasions, the Kolkata skipper will once again be expected to deliver a solid start to the team for the lower order batting to capitalize on. His shrewd and aggressive captaincy has received many plaudits this season, and he will be desperate to take Kolkata to their first IPL final.

Shakib Al Hasan

The Bangladesh skipper came into the side late into the season but made an immediate impact with useful bowling spells and quick scoring ability down the order. Kolkata will be counting on him to keep the scoring momentum going with the bat and provide healthy support to Narine with the ball.

Prediction for the game

A tricky pitch at Pune that has only given away an average of 7.23 runs per over this season could help Kolkata’s slow bowlers in their cause, while Delhi’s pace unit might lose its sting on an unhelpful track. Even so, Delhi packs a string of impact batsmen who could quickly take the game away from Kolkata, and Delhi’s accurate pace bowling might just overcome a slightly erratic Kolkata batting line-up.

Predicted winner: Delhi Daredevils.

Whatever the result might be, expect an exciting clash between two sharp captains and some quality fast bowling, crafty spin and powerful batting to highlight the match.