IPL 2017| Preview Match 15 : Delhi Daredevils Vs. Kings XI Punjab

04/15/2017

Having enjoyed a massive victory over Rising Pune Supergiant in their last game, the Delhi Daredevils will look to make it two in a row when they take on the Kings XI Punjab at the Feroz Shah Kotla tonight. Meanwhile, Punjab will want to get back to winning ways after KKR ended their unbeaten run.

Delhi Daredevils certainly found their mojo against the Rising Pune Supergiant with Sanju Samson smashing the first 100 of IPL 2017 to power his side to a massive score of 205, before Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra led the way with the ball, dismissing Pune for a paltry 108 to secure a massive 97 run victory.

But Delhi certainly won’t have it easy against Kings XI Punjab who were on a roll prior to their first loss. Punjab were done in largely due to Yadav's heroics with the ball, who took 3 wickets in 1 over at the death to reel back Punjab, who were looking ominous until then, and Gambhir's with the bat, who smashed an unbeaten 72 off only 49 balls. Delhi will certainly need their star players to deliver to stand a chance of winning the tie.

Moreover, Feroz Shah Kotla might be a fortress, but is hardly one for Delhi Daredevils, they have an unimpressive 19 wins and 29 defeats at their 'home' ground.

Head to Head:

Two of the oldest sides in IPL history have met 18 times so far, with Delhi prevailing on 10 occasions compared to Punjab’s 8. However, in their last 4 games, the Delhi side lead the stakes 3-1.

Last Meeting:

In a close fought encounter, half-centuries from Marcus Stoinis and Wriddhiman Saha (both scored 52) set a target of 182 for the Delhi Daredevils at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium. Stoinis once again shone with the ball picking up 3/40 in his four overs to restrict Delhi to 172 and seal a 9 run victory for the Kings XI Punjab.

Predicted Playing XI:

Delhi Daredevils: Aditya Tare (w) Sam Billings, Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, Corey Anderson, Chris Morris, Karun Nair, Pat Cummins, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan (C) Shahbaz Nadeem.

Kings XI Punjab: Hashim Amla, Manan Vohra, Glenn Maxwell (C), David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha (w), Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis, Mohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, Varun Aaron.

Key Players:

Sanju Samson (DD): Having scored a magnificent 102 in the last game, Samson will be looking to carry on his momentum against the Kings XI tonight and might fancy his chances against Mohit Sharma and Sandeep Sharma in particular.

Glenn Maxwell (KXIP): The Punjab skipper was dismissed for the first time in the tournament this year against KKR and certainly has been one of the best batsmen in IPL 2017, so far. And once again, his contributions with the bat against Delhi’s strong bowling attack will be crucial if Punjab are to get back on track.

Pre- Match Chatter:

"He is a very experienced campaigner and has played with some of the best Indian captains. He can guide players well. He has seen most of the players that are playing now, so he is able to plot for the batsmen. He is a very intelligent cricketer and we are gaining from his inputs and experience," Amit Mishra on Daredevils' captain Zaheer Khan.

Time: 8 PM

Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

TV Listings: Sony Six HD, Sony Six, Set Max, Sony ESPN