IPL 9 Match 36 Preview: Kings XI Punjab take on superior Delhi Daredevils

Delhi Daredevils, after their stunning loss to Rising Pune Supergiants, will aim to bounce back when they take on bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter here on Saturday. With just 2 wins in 8 games, KXIP will look to gain some respect by doing well in the remaining games. And, they look set to do that as well after they defeated the strong Gujarat Lions and then followed it up with a close game against Kolkata Knight Riders. After under-performing in most of the IPL editions, DD has looked like a team on a mission this season.

The young team under the mentorship of Rahul Dravid and the leadership of Zaheer Khan has been very exciting so far. But the loss to RPS should make them bit more conscious when they face KXIP. The last time both teams met, Delhi had completely thrashed Punjab riding on the brilliance of Amit Mishra and Quinton de Kock. Considering the recent run of form, DD look clear favorites but KXIP can prove to be a tough contest if they put up a collective effort just like RPS did in the last game.

Kings XI Punjab:

Kings XI Punjab look bit more settled under Murali Vijay. However, inconsistency still remains a problem. The batsmen will face a firm test from the disciplined DD bowlers, especially their spinners. Marsh’s departure has brought the South African strongman Hashim Amla into the squad. His inclusion will bolster the fragile line-up. Vijay had a good captaincy debut but followed it up with a bad game.

Marcus Stoinis, who replaced the young Manan Vohra, in the opening slot, hasn’t done anything great. Both the openers must get into the match with a solid plan. Vohra and W Saha also need to show some character when they come out in the middle. David Miller and Glenn Maxwell in the middle order have lacked responsibility throughout the tournament. Bowling has been the only positive factor for the Punjab side. Sandeep Singh and Mohit Sharma have given impressive performances. They also have very good spinner bowlers in Axar Patel and Swapnil Singh.

Delhi Daredevils:

Delhi would hope that Zaheer gets back into action quickly as he has managed to get early breakthroughs and has been impressive in the death as well. More than his bowling Daredevils definitely missed Zak the skipper. They must also stop fiddling too much with their lineup and stick to the winning combination. Quinton de Kock will most likely return to the squad. Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson have to play substantial knocks and make an impact. While they would expect Karun Nair to keep going with his consistency. Jayant Yadav will make way for the skipper. Pawan Negi was impressive in the last game but might lose out his place to Shahbaz Nadeem. Imran Tahir along with Amit Mishra will be a potent leg-spinning combination. Whereas the DD management will have to take the tough call of whether to play Chris Morris or continue with Carlos Brathwaite.

Probable XI-

Kings XI Punjab: 

Murali Vijay (C), Hashim Amla, Manan Vohra, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Axar Patel, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, Swapnil Singh.

Delhi Daredevils: 

Quinton de Kock, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson (wk), Karun Nair, Sam Billings, JP Duminy, Chris Morris, Carlos Brathwaite, Zaheer Khan (C), Amit Mishra, Mohammed Shami, Imran Tahir.

StAttack:

1. DD haven’t played 2 consecutive matches in IPL with the same team since the 2nd half of IPL 2015. (total 15 games – 7+8)

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