Match Preview: Delhi Daredevils vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

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  • If Delhi win, then they'll face Bangalore in a virtual quarter-final on Sunday

    Venue: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, Raipur | Date & Time: 20 May at 1830 hr (GST)

    BIG PICTURE

    Though they looked set to qualify for the play-offs, Delhi Daredevils are losing steam at the wrong time. Having been comfortably placed until last week, they now find themselves in a position where they can’t afford a slip. After consecutive losses, their NRR has dropped to -0.175.

    The Sunrisers have had a different story altogether. They looked a meek side at the beginning of the tournament primarily because of their light batting. However David Warner’s efforts in tandem with a stellar bowling attack – perhaps the strongest in the tournament so far – took them to a good position. Ashish Nehra’s and Yurvraj Singh’s return to the side has made Sunrisers a force to reckon with. They have one foot over the line, and barring two severely heavy losses and a lot of poor fortune, they should make it to play-offs.

    Delhi’s horses for courses approach has turned out to be unsuccessful, not because the conceptual flaw in “horses for courses” but because of the proverbial horses they’ve picked. Their batting has looked extremely toothless in the absence of specialized late order-hitters. They rely too much on Quinton de Kock to carry them throughout the innings and their Indian talents haven’t turned up in the last few matches. A win will ensure that the race to the playoffs remains a tight contest between six teams for four spots. It will also ensure a straight knockout face-off against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

    WATCH OUT FOR

    Can Mustafizur make up for Nehra's absence?

    Can Mustafizur make up for Nehra’s absence?

    Mustafizur Rahman: The man, also known as Fizz has continued to bamboozle batsmen even heading into this IPL. That said, last three games haven’t been up there for him: he’s erred by bowling too short and compensating with over-pitched balls; his off-cutter hasn’t looked impossible to hit out of the park. Approaching the play-offs, Sunrisers will want the Bangladeshi to get his fizz back.

    KEY BATTLES

    David Warner vs Zaheer Khan: This battle will set the tone for the Hyderabad innings. This year, the Daredevils captain has shown ample skill and tactical nous even as a retired international. David Warner has reinforced his reputation as one of the most destructive openers in the world. In a must-win game for the men in red, getting David Warner out early is almost indispensible.

    Chris Morris vs Yuvraj Singh: It’s a well-known fact that in eight previous seasons of the IPL, Yuvraj is yet to leave his stamp on the tournament. This is still too early claim that Yuvraj Singh will get that moniker off his back this year, but Yuvraj has shown a great deal of promise this season. He’s been there when his team needed him to score quickly, and also been there when the team needed him to shepherd a chase. How he fares against this season’s most valuable player in the Delhi line-up will be a treat to watch.

    EXPECTED XIs

    Delhi are unlikely to head in to the game with the same middle-order. They’ll want the explosive duo of Sam Billings and Carlos Brathwaite in the squad. Mayank Aggarwal has squandered an opportunity after another, and is Rishabh Pant is likely to replace him.

    Quinton de Kock (wk), Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Sanju Samson, Sam Billings, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Morris, Pawan Negi / Jayant Yadav / Shahbaz Nadeem, Zaheer Khan, Amit Mishra, Mohammad Shami.

    Sunrisers have received a massive blow thanks to an injury to their premier fast bowler, Ashish Nehra. Apart from that, they seem to have settled into a well-oiled machine.

    David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Naman Ojha (wk), Yuvraj Singh, Deepak Hooda, Ben Cutting, Moises Henriques, Karn Sharma, B Kumar, B Sran, Mustafizur Rahman

    STRAIGHT FROM TWITTER

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