The Delhi Daredevils have finally found that winning feeling again, and they will want to keep it going when they host the Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL 2015 match at the Feroze Shah Kotla on Monday.
Having lost their first two games In IPL 2015, it looked like it might be another freefalling season for DD, only for a morale-boosting victory over the Kings XI Punjab to get them back on track. The JP Duminy-led side followed that victory up with the topping of the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhaptnam, and now, back in home territory – a ground where they have lost their last eight matches -- the Daredevils will look for the big scalp of the defending champions.
"I think we are heading in the right direction," Delhi Daredevils fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile, who held his nerve brilliantly to pull off a last over victory over SRH, told IPL's official website. "We've got a really good group and have a good balance in our batting and bowling.
"I don't see any team we can't beat or contest with. We are lucky enough to have a good bunch of people who know their game quite well. No one has to really be told what to do. People know their roles well and it has been communicated well by [coach] Gary Kirsten and it is about going there and doing it."
Well, the Delhi Daredevils have certainly done it in the last two matches, but KKR will pose a stiffer test. Gautam Gambhir's men showed just how strong their lineup is in their win over KXIP in their last game on Saturday.
Looking dead and buried at 60/5, chasing a modest target of 156, Andre Russell produced some of his patented power hitting to eventually lead KKR to a comfortable victory.
"At 60 for five, the dugout was a bit tense," said Umesh Yadav. "We had a good start and then we slipped to 60 for five. But we knew we had Andre and Yusuf Pathan, so we were confident we could definitely chase the target."
With Shakib Al Hasan on international duty, Ryan Ten Doeschate came into the side, and even if the Netherlands international could not quite make his mark in the game against KXIP, the strength in depth of this KKR squad is only highlighted by the quality that comes in.
And that quality will be the key to picking up a win over the Daredevils, who will again look to the likes of Yuvraj Singh and JP Duminy for some batting inspiration. Yuvraj has only really taken off in one game so far in IPL 2015 – the win over Kings XI – and he is due for a big knock in front of his new home crowd.
The Kotla will be buzzing and hoping for a victory after seeing their side pick up two in a row, but they will also know in KKR, they will be up against a side in supreme control of their resources and abilities.
To beat KKR, you either need an individual to play a blinder, much like Chris Gayle did at the Eden Gardens ten days ago, or the team to play the near-perfect game – the Daredevils will take either, or both just as long as they pick up a third straight victory.
Where to Watch Live
Get the Match Report, Score and Highlights HERE
DD vs KKR – IPL 2015 Match 17 – will be shown live from 8 pm IST (3.30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) in India on Sony Max and Sony Six. The match can also be watched via live streaming online on Hotstar and Starsports.com.
Catch the match live in the Middle East on OSN and OSN Play, while the game can also be watched live on ESPN and online on ESPN Cricket in the US.
Audience in the UK and Europe can watch the match live on Sky Sports 2, with the live stream option on Sky Go and Watch Sky Sports. Viewers around the world can also catch IPL 2015 Match 17 live on Cricketgateway.com.
