After two back to back wins against Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils (DD) have got their tails up and are looking for their third straight win as they are set for a crucial encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Monday.
The Daredevils currently lie in fourth place, while their opponents, KKR, are placed third in the table after winning two out of their three games.
Though, KKR resemble a balanced side, their batting has not clicked as they would have wanted, with most of their batsman failing to convert their starts into some big scores. However, Gautam Gambhir has been prolific at the top of the order with 126 runs in three matches played so far.
But, if they are to stop the DD from winning their home game, other key KKR players also needed to fire. Both teams comprise some big names, which could prove to be the difference at Feroz Shah Kotla.
Here is a look at two key players each from KKR and DD.
Delhi Daredevils
JP Duminy – After being handed over the responsibility of DD's captaincy, the left hander has led from the front and also turned the teams' fortunes around as well. The South African has been more than handy with his off breaks, which has seen him take 7 wickets in four matches. With the willow in his hand, he seems to have found his best batting position as well in the top order with some useful knocks. He has scored 124 runs so far and the team will need more of his all-round ability for today's game.
Angelo Matthews – The Sri Lankan might be one of the most underrated all-rounders in world cricket, but his exploits with the bat and ball can never be underestimated. Though, he may not have hit the ground running this season, he is an important part of the DD squad, with the IPL side choosing Matthews as their number one all-rounder ahead of Albie Morkel. It is time for the Sri Lankan to pay DD's faith back with solid performances. He is a very useful batsman in the lower middle order, where he can hit those big sixes in the final overs of the game and also bowl some useful overs.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Andre Russell – The West Indian has been one of the consistent KKR players with his all-round abilities. As a bowler, he has been decent, taking two wickets, but it is his batting exploits, which has been a major positive for KKR in the slog overs, as he has the knack of clearing the fence with his brutal strength. The same was witnessed in their last game against Kings XI Punjab, where his quick fire 66 helped the Gamhir-led side turn victorious. Even players like Yusuf Pathan had to take a back seat and enjoy Russell's hitting from the other end.
Morne Morkel – The lanky bowler from South Africa has been in amazing from, as he has already taken five important wickets. Very few batsmen in this IPL have been able to get the bowler away for quick runs and Gambhir will ask for a similar performance from his bowling spearhead. He extracts amazing bounce from the pitch due to his height of 1.96m. With Delhi possessing big hitters such as Yuvraj Singh and Duminy, KKR need Morkel to be in top form.
