A new-look Delhi Daredevils could not have asked for a tougher opening test in IPL 2015 as they head into the lion's den that is the MA Chidambaram Stadium to take on the formidable Chennai Super Kings on Thursday.
Having watched KKR make Mumbai Indians look like a lightweight team in the IPL 2015 opener, CSK will be doubly motivated to make a statement of their own, and they will look at this match against the don't-know-what-to-make-of-them Delhi Daredevils as the perfect opportunity.
"The first game is always a challenge and really you just want to get it under your belt, get a line in the sand and understand what you need to work on," said the always-astute CSK coach Stephen Fleming. "If you do well, it's a bonus.
"But you start by keeping the expectations quite low. You look for individual brilliance and keep building on that."
Yet again, CSK head into a new IPL season with little changes to their side, ensuring that same level of competence will remain in place. So, expect that same opening lineup of Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum to cream the opening bowlers at the top, with Suresh Raina then doing what he does best in IPL cricket.
Faf Du Plessis will lend solidity to the middle order – if not, there is also the supremely good option of Michael Hussey -- with finishers like MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, a different beast in home conditions, there to add the gloss.
The bowling also look pretty good for CSK, with one of Matt Henry or Kyle Abbott likely to start, while Dhoni has the privilege to call upon India regulars Mohit Sharma, R Ashwin and Jadeja along with the experienced Ashish Nehra.
One man who will not feature for CSK in this opening match against DD will be Irfan Pathan, who has been ruled out with an injury. That will be a big blow to the all-rounder, who was looking to make as big an impression as quickly as possible after being picked by CSK in the auction.
Andrew Tye will also miss out through injury, and while most of the CSK lineup can be predicted, the same cannot be said of the Delhi Daredevils, who went for the "let everyone go and start anew" strategy again after finishing bottom of the table last season.
The Delhi Daredevils have a new captain in JP Duminy, who will look to get the best out of his talented squad, while also looking to forge a great partnership with coach Gary Kirsten.
"The only challenge for DD will be that they are a new side and so getting together and understanding each other's style of play will be a challenge," added Fleming when asked about CSK's opponents. "But I rate Gary Kirsten very highly. His man-management skills are right up there.
"And with JP Duminy they have two people who can lead the team very well. It could be our disadvantage not knowing what team they will put out. Each IPL side has three-four players who can win the game on their own and that's why you never look at a team and say it's an easy game."
Those potential match-winners include Mohammed Shami, Josh Hazlewood, Quinton De Kock and particularly Yuvraj Singh, who again went for big bucks in the auction, which means the pressure to perform will be high.
Yuvraj only showed his ridiculous batting prowess in spurts at RCB last season, and DD will hope the India veteran can take a more leading role with the bat. If Yuvraj Singh catches fire, be that against CSK or any other team, the opposition will be in trouble.
Dhoni will hope Thursday is not one of those days.
Where to Watch Live
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The CSK vs DD game of IPL 2015 is scheduled to begin at 8 pm IST (3.30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) with live coverage in India on Sony Six and Sony Max. Viewers can also catch the IPL live with commentary in Telugu, Tamil and Bengali through Sony Kix and Sony Aath. Audience in India who do not have a TV available during the match can go to Hotstar to catch the match via live streaming online.
Viewers in the US will be able to catch the game live on ESPN, while the action can also be live streamed on ESPN Cricket. Audience watch this IPL match in the UK and Europe can catch it on Sky Sports, while the option to live stream is on Sky Go and Watch Sky Sports.
Audience in the Middle East can watch CSK vs Delhi Daredevils Live on OSN, while South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can catch the match on SuperSport. The IPL 2015 game can also be watched via live streaming on OSN Play and SuperSport Live respectively.
Viewers from the rest of the world can watch CSK face DD live online on Cricket Gateway.
