Will the rebranded Delhi Daredevils squad under the leadership of veteran Indian opener Gautam Gambhir mark their rebirth in the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League?
In the last ten seasons of the cash-rich league, the squad has even struggled to reach the play-offs stage, the primary reason why the team is known as underachievers among cricket fans.
However, it seems the homecoming of Gautam Gambhir after seven years, along with the combination of the most dangerous T20 players like Colin Munro, Glen Maxwell, Rishabh Pant and Chris Morris, might do some good for the team.
Local boy Gautam Gambhir has been given the tough task of getting the right team competition and revive the fortunes of DD by lifting their maiden Indian Premier League trophy.
Delhi Daredevils under the mentorship of Ricky Ponting will start their IPL 2018 campaign on April 8 against R Ashwin-led Kings XI Punjab with an away game.
Ahead of their first clash, here is The Statesman’s take on Delhi Daredevils squad:
Batting:
Delhi Daredevils batting line-up is full of stars, rising young and dangerous T20 players. Be it Gambhir, Jason Roy, Glenn Maxwell, Munro, or Rishabh Pant, all of them have the ability to shatter the strongest bowling line-ups in IPL.
England cricketer Jason Roy, along with Gautam Gambhir, is expected to open the innings. Colin Munro of New Zealand may open too. Munro has scored three T20 centuries and his name is enough to create a havoc. If not opening, Munro can give strength to DD’s middle-order.
Star Indian player Rishabh Pant can also open innings for DD. However, the big hitter is very unlikely to be given the task. He can come to bat at number five or six, so he can do some greater damage to the opponents in the death overs.
Then there is Glenn Maxwell, who can set the scoreboard on fire within a few overs on any given day. Maxwell can either come to bat at number 3, 4 or at number 6, 7. In IPL 2014, Maxwell had created a buzz by scoring over 500 runs at an incredible strike rate of 187.75. So now you know how much damage Maxwell alone can do.
India’s ICC Under-19 World Cup winning team skipper Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Kalra can also play some crucial role in DD.
Bowling:
Star Indian speedster Mohammed Shami will likely lead the bowling, especially pace attack of the team. Shami was retained by Delhi Daredevils by using the Right To Match card in the much-talked-about IPL auction. However, rising South African bowlers Kagiso Rabada’s absence is the huge setback for the team. England speedster Liam Plunket is replacing Rabada in DD squad. And it is going to be his first stint in IPL. So it is too soon to comment on his ability to bowl on India’s pitches.
New Zealand seamer Trent Boult is another big name for Delhi and he can come in handy if Gautam Gambhir decides to play a left-arm pacer against a particular opponent.
Amit Mishra, only bowler who had taken 3 hat-tricks in the history of the cash-rich league, will lead the spin attack of the team and Shahbaz Nadeem can be the team’s go-to option if they decide to play two spinners.
All-rounders:
Delhi Daredevils have a few effective all-rounders in their squad. Chris Morris will be the go-to man for the skipper and the future of the team will also partially dependent upon how he performs in IPL 2018.
Last year, Morris has taken 12 wickets in nine matches. That’s why Morris is also a good option in the bowling unit, if the skipper needs an option from their regular bowlers.
Australian all-rounder Daniel Christian is another option for DD. However, it is unlikely that he will get space in the playing XI.
Players who can be a threat to other teams: Gautam Gambhir, Rishabh Pant, Amit Mishra and Glenn Maxwell.
Delhi Daredevils schedule and list of matches with venues:
Sunday 8th April 2018
Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab: 4:00 PM IST, IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali
Wednesday 11th April 2018
Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils: 8:00 PM IST, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Saturday 14th April 2018
Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils: 4:00 PM IST, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Monday 16th April 2018
Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils: 8:00 PM IST, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Saturday 21st April 2018
Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Bangalore: 8:00 PM IST, Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi
Monday 23rd April 2018
Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils: 8:00 PM IST, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Friday 27th April 2018
Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders: 8:00 PM IST, Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi
Monday 30th April 2018
Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils: 8:00 PM IST, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Wednesday 2nd May 2018
Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals: 8:00 PM IST, Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi
Saturday 5th May 2018
Sunrisers Hyderabad v Delhi Daredevils: 8:00 PM IST, Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad
Thursday 10th May 2018
Delhi Daredevils v Sunrisers Hyderabad: 8:00 PM IST, Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi
Saturday 12th May 2018
Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils: 8:00 PM IST, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Friday 18th May 2018
Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings: 8:00 PM IST, Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi
Sunday 20th May 2018
Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians: 4:00 PM IST, Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi
Delhi Daredevils squad – Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Chris Morris, Glenn Maxwell, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammad Shami, Gautam Gambhir, Trent Boult, Colin Munro, Daniel Christian, Jason Roy, Naman Ojha, Prithvi Shaw, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Avesh Khan, Abhishek Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Harshal Patel, Manjot Kalra, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sayan Ghosh.