IPL 2018: Sandeep Lamichhane and Junior Dala in line to make their debut for Delhi Daredevils

The Delhi Daredevils looked a well-balanced side at the start of the season. The franchise could not have asked for a better captain than Gautam Gambhir as the Southpaw had led the Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles. The Daredevils had a good mix of local and foreign players who had the capability of snatching the game away from the opposition. It seemed that IPL 11 will bring happiness to the DD fans who have waited for 10 long years.

However, Lady Luck was not on their side again as Daredevils find themselves at the bottom of the table. It became the first team to be eliminated after the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Gambhir had stepped down from captaincy midway in the tournament while Kagiso Rabada was ruled out of the tournament.

Although Rishab Pant and Shreyas Iyer have been in the form of their lives, the foreign players of DD have disappointed. The likes of Glenn Maxwell and Colin Munro have failed to make any impact in the games. The performance of the team improved after Iyer took over the skippers role but it was too late to recover.

All guns blazing

Now that the team is out of the contention for playoffs, it can give opportunities to other players who are on the bench. James Hopes, the team’s bowling coach has said that the franchise might give a chance to Junior Dala and Sandeep Lamichhane. “We now need to see the big picture. What does our roster look like for next year, those things will start to be spoken about now? These next three games are a good opportunity to possibly see some of these guys, especially Junior (Dala) and Sandeep (Lamichhane), in action.” said Hopes in the post match presentation.

Sandeep Lamichhane became the first player from Nepal to be picked up by an IPL franchise. He hasn’t played a game so far but could feature in DD’s next game. Junior Dala was roped in by the franchise after Chris Morris was ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury.

The South African pacer has impressed everyone with his stage bowling style and is also a strong candidate to make it to the playing XI. Gautam Gambhir was also seen playing a big part in DD’s practice session and may make a comeback against RCB. The Delhi Daredevils face the Royal Challengers Bangalore on the 12th of May. The franchise has nothing to lose now and can go all guns blazing in their encounter.

Stay updated on ‘today’s cricket news‘ with CricTracker.com