Delhi Daredevils will be keen to use their home advantage as they prepare to face the Kings XI Punjab at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi on Friday. The home side need their big guns to fire and with the pitch expected to turn, spinners Amit Mishra and Imran Tahir could hold the key for the home team.
The match could well turn out to be a battle between the Daredevils bowlers and the strong batting lineup of Kings XI. With batsmen such as David Miller, Glenn Maxwell and Murali Vijay for the Kings XI, they can tear apart Delhi with their batting skills.
Unlike other teams in IPL 2016, neither team have an array of stars, which means that they do not rely on one or two cricketers, all the players have to chip in, to help the team emerge victorious.
One look at the Daredevils and Kings XI, reflects their team comprise of some young India guns, who will be keen to impress in IPL 2016, while some cricketers like Mishra are trying to find a spot in the India team, with good performances this season.
The legspinner wants his team to start their first home game with a win, and perform well in IPL 2016. Delhi have been poor in the last few seasons, failing to get past the league stages in the last three editions of the IPL.
"I don't want to put pressure on myself. Now I want to just focus on IPL. I am focused on the upcoming matches and not worried about what will happen one and a half month later." PTI quoted Mishra as saying.
"Right now, I want to be in the top 10 wicket takers list this IPL season. Delhi didn't do well in the last two years and we want to finish in the top 4 and we are looking to start that journey from here in Delhi."
In the other camp, KXIP captain Miller wants his batsmen to play as per the situation, rather than going for their shots from ball one.
"We should be focussing on hitting it in the gaps and running twos instead of taking on the bowlers early on. I think it's about being clever in the middle period. It's a fine line because you don't want to lose wickets and you want to keep the runs coming. It's about finding that balance," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Miller as saying.
But, runscoring will not be too easy in the slow turning track in Delhi, so the visitors' bowlers like Axar Patel and Pardeep Sahu needs to deliver with the ball. Also, Mohit Sharma's cutters will grip the surface, and help him take important wickets.
The Daredevils and Kings XI lost their respective first match in IPL 2016, and will be keen to get two points in Delhi.
Where to watch live
Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab IPL 2016 – is scheduled for an 8 p.m. IST (3:30 p.m. BST, 10:30 a.m. ET) start. Live TV coverage of the Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab IPL 2016 match will be on Sony Max, Sony Six/HD, Sony ESPN/HD. Online options are available on Hotstar and Starsports.com.
Sky Sports 2 will broadcast the Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab IPL 2016 match live in the UK and Ireland, with the live stream options on Watch Sky Sports and Sky Go.
Viewers in the US can watch Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab IPL 2016 on ESPN, while the game can also be live streamed on Watch ESPN. Sportsnet and viewers in Canada can watch the Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab on Watch Sportsnet
OSN Sports Cricket will show Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab live in the Middle East and North Africa, while all the action can also be watched via live streaming online on OSN Cricket Play.
Supersport and Supersport Live Video will broadcast IPL 2016 match in South Africa.
Viewers from across the world, around 133 countries, can watch the IPL 2016 match live online on Cricketgateway.
