IPL 2018 Delhi Daredevils: All you need to know

A new-look Delhi Daredevils side assembled by Australia great Ricky Ponting will hope to turn around years of underachievement.

South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris has been retained by Delhi DaredevilsIANS

A new-look Delhi Daredevils side assembled by Australia great Ricky Ponting will hope to turn around years of underachievement and win the Indian Premier League title for the first time.

Delhi brought in Ponting to replace Rahul Dravid after the India legend took over as coach of the India A and India Under-19 teams. The former Australia captain has assembled a squad packed with strong overseas batting talent in the form of Glenn Maxwell, Colin Munro, and Jason Roy, while the franchise has a captain with proven IPL pedigree in the form of Gautam Gambhir.

The Daredevils have also retained two quality Indian players in Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, along with South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris.

There are high hopes that Ponting's leadership could elevate Delhi to the next level. The Daredevils job is Ponting's first as head coach in the IPL after he served a successful three-year stint as part of the backroom staff of Mumbai Indians.

"Both [Ponting and Dravid] are equally good in their way," Shreyas Iyer said when asked to describe the difference between Dravid and Ponting's coaching styles. "Dravid is more calm and cool, he nurtures the kids. Ricky is pretty opposite but both have the same frame of mind. He said that 'we are here to win'. His frame of mind was pretty much about winning, not about the process."

Delhi have been starved of success in the IPL in the recent years. Their best-ever performance in the tournament was a third-place finish in 2012. Since then, the highest finish they have managed in the league stage is sixth.

Delhi Daredevils players to watch

Gautam Gambhir: The India opener is back at Delhi Daredevils after spending seven seasons with Kolkata Knight Riders. Gambhir led KKR to their first title in 2012 and will look to lead his hometown franchise to their first IPL crown.

Glenn Maxwell: Maxwell was bought for $1.8 million by the Delhi in the auction, bringing to an end his three-year association with Kings XI Punjab. A destructive batsman and brilliant fielder, the 29-year-old is just the kind of mercurial talent the Daredevils need to turn around their fortunes.