Impressive, is the word to describe Delhi Daredevils' last two performances in IPL 2017. After suffering a disappointing defeat in their opening match, DD have found their mojo in quite, well, impressive fashion to go on a two-match winning streak in the Indian Premier League.
That winning streak will be put under serious pressure by the Kolkata Knight Riders, who have also won two games in a row, and that too in rather emphatic manner, when the two teams clash at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Monday.
The key for both these teams has been that they have found the right structure, with each player aware of his responsibility.
When that happens, you invariably end up winning T20 matches, and in the non-stop nature of the IPL, it is essential to get the balance of the team right, with each individual player knowing what his role is in the team.
At the moment, the Delhi Daredevils players seem to know that to a T, and that is great credit to the coach Paddy Upton and mentor Rahul Dravid.
Not too many teams would have voluntarily decided to bat first and defend a total, but considering the fact that Delhi Daredevils' strength is their bowling, that was the right way to go against Kings XI Punjab, and it worked perfectly.
The batsmen put up a total well above par in their IPL 2017 match on Saturday – the first game of the season at the Feroz Shah Kotla – and the bowlers had the simple task of restricting a Kings XI Punjab team already disappointed at giving away too many runs.
KKR won't be such an easy proposition, and this is a team with a winning mentality, one that won't lie down and play dead even if one innings fails to go their way.
Gautam Gambhir has led KKR from the front quite well in IPL 2017, scoring runs at the top while marshalling his troops to great effect on the field, something Zaheer Khan has also done brilliantly for DD.
Gambhir will know that KKR will need most things to go their way to stop the Delhi Daredevils at their own backyard, and with the toss unlikely to play too much of a role – DD will want to bat first and KKR bowl – it will all depend on which team does seizes those big moments better.
Where and when to watch IPL 2017 Match 18 live
Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders is set to begin at 4pm IST. Live Streaming and TV information is below.
India: TV: Sony Max, Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony Max, Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
International: Live Streaming: Cricketgateway.
Middle East: TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD. Live Streaming: OSN Play.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 2. Live Streaming: Sky Sports Go.
South Africa: TV: SuperSport Two. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live Video.
