Delhi Daredevils are sitting pretty, relatively speaking, on top of the league. They have 14 points with a match in hand over the teams at No. 2 and 3, and two games in hand over the rest. Barring an astonishing change in form for the worse, they are virtually assured of a semi-final berth. A victory against Deccan Chargers at Kingsmead today will all but ensure it.
Delhi's success is a result of them being the most settled side in the competition. Unlike most teams, they are strong in both batting and bowling departments and found their winning combination early in the tournament. Even when Delhi were forced to make changes - Manoj Tiwary broke his hand and Virender Sehwag missed their last four games due to injury - their bench strength has slotted seamlessly into the game plan and maintained the winning momentum.
The odds are against Deccan but if they manage to pull off an upset, they will share the top spot with Delhi. Deccan started the tournament on the hottest streak - four straight wins - but then suffered three consecutive defeats, the first one against Delhi. However, they've put in strong performances in their last three games, of which they've won two, leaving them with 12 points from ten games. The addition of overseas players Andrew Symonds and Chaminda Vaas has helped keep them in contention for the semi-finals.
0 Comments:
