Will Daredevils prey on Rajasthan Royals ?
Riding high on the back of a three-match winning streak, Delhi Daredevils will be looking for an easy prey in title-holders Rajasthan Royals when they meet in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Centurion Park here Tuesday.
A week into the IPL and the Daredevils have emerged as one of the favourites while defending champions Rajasthan Royals are still struggling to find the winning touch that made them a formidable team last year.
The Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals have managed one win in three matches and that came against Kolkata Knight Riders through a Super Over. The absence of talented all-rounders Shane Watson of Australia and Pakistani Sohail Tanveer has hurt them badly.
The Daredevils, who made it to the semi-finals last year, are in a sparkling form, as all their wins have been convincing. A star-studded batting line-up and a balanced bowling attack, have been the key to success for Virender Sehwag's team.
In Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, Daredevils have two formidable openers who can crush the spirit of any bowling attack. But even if they fail, Daredevils can fall back on their strong middle-order which boast of players like Tillekaratne Dilshan and AB de Villiers. In the last two matches, Dilshan and De Villiers were the cornerstone of the Daredevils batting.
Dilshan has hit two consecutive half-centuries, seeing Daredevils through a difficult situation against Royal Challengers in the last match. De Villiers has scored the first century of the IPL, a whirlwind knock that flattened runners-up Chennai Super Kings in the second match.
Rajasthan Royals top-order has not fired. Graeme Smith is not among runs and last year's star performer Swapnil Asnodkar is struggling to cope with the moving ball. They are losing wickets in heaps and it falls on Yousuf Pathan to shore up the batting.
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