One team’s tournament is done. Delhi Daredevils are there to make up the numbers now. The other team shifts focus to ascertaining a playoffs spot. Chennai Super Kings have a fine chance of making the top two in the table.
Daredevils are creaking under the weight of eight losses in 12 matches. Four of them needn’t have been: the batting-order malfunction in their opening game, failing to defend 184 in their next, letting Mumbai Indians off the hook last week and losing to pressure and Sunrisers Hyderabad two days ago.
Super Kings, meanwhile, are supremely healthy in closing out matches. A versatile batting line-up, coupled with canny bowling resources and handled by a captain who understands the flow of limited-overs cricket like a sailor understands a choppy ocean. Practice in winning T20 contests has taught MS Dhoni when to fight against the current and when to bide his time. But his best strength is the crew he helms and the certainty and familiarity of their roles.
There is a kraken in the deep, however – a misfiring middle-order. Super Kings have often mentioned they target over 100 in the back 10. But Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja have just about faced 100 balls in the season each and Dhoni himself hasn’t been able to summon his big-hitting either.
Form guide
Delhi Daredevils LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Chennai Super Kings WLWLL
In the spotlight
A left-arm spinner by trade, Pawan Negi might need a better job description. The 22-year old’s primary discipline was ripped apart by Mumbai but his lusty blows down the order have been a welcome surprise. He bases it on a decent technique and a preference for the front foot.
In the lead-up to the IPL, there was a lot of talk in the Daredevils camp about Zaheer Khan adding to his own bowling duties by mentoring the others. It was on display in Raipur when Zaheer flitted around talking to the likes of 25-year old rookie Jayant Yadav, and was at the captain’s ear regularly during the final overs. His own economy of 7.35 in five games adds to the theory that his relevance is not quite lost.
Stats and trivia
Delhi Daredevils have struck 13 fifties this season. The only team to better that is Mumbai Indians, with 14
On condition of at least 50 balls faced, Pawan Negi’s strike rate of 182.35 is better than AB de Villiers (180.16). It is, however, second-best this season after Andre Russell’s 197.93.
Quotes
“We probably didn’t play as well as we possibly could in our away games and we need to change that. It is not a complete overhaul; just a bit of nipping and tucking in a couple of areas and we will get a better performance away from home.”
Brendon McCullum, on the challenge of playing outside Chennai
