Nine home games, nine losses – Delhi Daredevils' record at the Feroz Shah Kotla is a sorry reading. The game to avoid making it ten defeats in a row in Delhi is against the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2015 on Thursday, a game DD are determined to win.
"We are very hungry to get it right and set the record right, especially in our home ground," said Delhi Daredevils captain JP Duminy. "We haven't played well here, so we've got three games now to set the record straight.
The Delhi Daredevils saw a two-match run come to an end at the Kotla at the hands of the Kolkata Knight Riders. The batting was the disappointing aspect again for DD, with none of their big guns able to put up a big score. Sporadic displays from the likes of Duminy, Yuvraj Singh and Angelo Mathews is not enough, because the more consistent their middle order is, the less pressure there will be on the young openers Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer.
"We have won two out of five games and we are at the fourth position in the points table," added Duminy. "To me it's not a bad position to be in at this stage of the tournament. We would like to win most of the remaining games and give ourselves a chance to get in to the playoffs.
"It is not difficult for me to motivate myself and the team because we have created a good team culture, led by the management and by Gary [Kirsten]. The guys are motivated to play for DD and want to do well, especially at the home ground. You'll definitely see a different change."
The Mumbai Indians are not exactly in the greatest of positions either, with just one win in their first five games of IPL 2015. That win came their way in the last match, against RCB in Bengaluru. The batting finally clicked from the top for MI in the game against RCB, and having put up a decent performance, Rohit Sharma and the rest of the superstars will be keen to make it two wins in two.
"To go forward and put together 210 against RCB, I think was a measure of the composure within the group," said MI bowling coach Shane Bond. "The belief that even though we haven't had a good start, given what had happened last year and given the challenges we have in the squad, if we continue to play aggressively, we know we are going to pose problems hopefully as the tournament moves on.
"It is always nice to get the first win under the belt and we're looking forward to the next couple of games before we get home for a few days. It's important that we continue that momentum."
DD vs MI will be a match between two sides still searching for that best combination, and finding that winning groove so essential to make a run for the playoffs. The Kotla has been hanging around the Daredevils neck like an albatross for too long now, and MI will look to keep it right there for a little while longer come Thursday.
Where to Watch Live
Get the Report, Score and Match Highlights HERE
The match between DD and MI is scheduled for an 8 pm IST (3.30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) start with live coverage in India on Sony Max, Sony Six, Sony Aath, Sony Kix. The IPL 2015 match can also be watched via live streaming online on Starsports.com and Hotstar.
Catch the IPL action live in the US on ESPN, while the game can also be live streamed on ESPN Cricket. Sky Sports will show Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians Live in the UK, while the live stream option is on Watch Sky Sports and Sky Go.
Audience from the rest of the world can watch DD vs MI Live on Cricketgateway.com.
