IPL 2018: Match 2, DD vs KXIP: Delhi Daredevils Predicted XI

The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League promises to be big affair. Coming in to the tournament, all teams have got their permutations and combinations sorted. All teams would be desperate to lift the silverware. And among them all, there is a certain Delhi Daredevils camp who would be itching to get their first points on the board. Over the last five years, they are the only side who have failed to make it to the playoffs.

On most occasions, they fail to get their initial momentum going and hence, end up playing the catching game throughout the tournament. This year, under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir, they would hope to turn their fortunes. The first match for the Delhi Daredevils is a home game against the Kings XI Punjab. In the northern derby, the eyes would be on the new recruits of both the sides.

The Kings have a lot of new faces on board, while the DD camp has managed to save their core by retaining three key players prior to the auctions this year. The track is expected to be a batting wicket and considering the fact that it is a day game, the teams would prefer batting first. In any case, the Delhi camp has their task cut out. They need to field their best possible eleven to give a strong competition to the favorites for the game, at least on the paper, the Kings XI Punjab.

Here we bring to you the predicted XI of Delhi Daredevils for the match:

Openers (Jason Roy, Colin Munro)

Many might actually be surprised to see no Gautam Gambhir in the opening slot. But the ones who know the veteran batsman, would have an idea that he can bat at number three for the cause of the team. Furthermore, his liking for the attacking openers, as was seen in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp last season, makes way for an overseas opening pair for the Delhi Daredevils.

Hard hitting English all-rounder Jason Roy got very few chances in the previous edition of the tournament where he had turned up for the Gujarat Lions. But one cannot rule out the fact that he can be very destructive on his given day. Roy is in prime form and had an exceptional outing down under in the limited overs fixtures for England recently. He is set to be partnered by Colin Munro, the Kiwi batsman. Munro, who has three T20I hundreds to his name, must get a slot in the playing eleven.

Middle-Order (Gautam Gambhir, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant)

Over the last couple of seasons, the area where the Delhi Daredevils have faltered in their middle order. They have lacked experience and stability in the department. This year, if Gautam Gambhir fits the bill in the middle-order, that problem could easily be resolved.

Furthermore, the unavailability of Glenn Maxwell for the tournament opener will put added responsibility on the shoulders of the skipper. Gambhir is likely to be supported by the young dynamic duo of Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer. Both Iyer and Pant were retained by the Daredevils prior to the auctions.

Iyer has been in fine form in the recent times. And Pant is set to don the wicket keeping gloves. Iyer was one of the few positives that the Daredevils had last season. While he can often play the anchoring role, Pant has the ability to smack the ball to all parts of the ground at will.

All-rounders (Abhishek Sharma, Vijay Shankar, Chris Morris)

Abhishek Sharma’s ability to excel in all departments of the game makes him a certain proposition for the game. The India U19 cricketer had led the U19 colts to Asia Cup win a season ago. And more recently, he had performed well with both bat and the ball in the ICC U19 World Cup, with a fifty against Bangladesh U19 being a highlight.

Vijay Shankar will fit the team as the current Indian international all-rounder. He had a forgetful outing in the finals of the Nidahas Trophy but the senior pro is experienced enough to leave it back and move ahead in his game. Not only he can chip with some crucial overs in the middle stages of the game, but also use the long handle to a good use.

Chris Morris has been leading the Delhi attack since last year. Morris was retained ahead of the auctions this year and it will only be a surprise if he is not in the starting eleven for the first game of the season for Delhi Daredevils. However, it is worth noting that Morris had struggled in either of the departments during the recent international assignments against India.

Spinners (Amit Mishra)

There will be some serious selection conundrums for the Delhi Daredevils camp to pick the spinner in the side. The track at Kotla has always assisted the spinners. However, considering the fact that it is a day game, it is unlikely that the team would go with two spinners. They have quality spin options in Shahbaz Nadeem, Sandeep Lamichhane, Jayant Yadav, and Amit Mishra. In all likelihood, Mishra will make the cut.

Pace bowlers (Trent Boult, Mohammed Shami)

Prior to the commencement of the tournament, Gautam Gambhir has showered huge praises on Trent Boult. He played with Boult in the KKR camp last season. Certainly, Gambhir will go with Boult in the first game of the season. Boult has been in a phenomenal form in the recent times. His recent exploit had England bundled out 58 in a Test match.

Boult is likely to be accompanied by Mohammed Shami in the pace bowling department. Shami has been going through a lot in the recent times. His personal life has been in shambles. He would want to restore his reputation with good exploits on the field.

Here’s DD Predicted XI for the game against KXIP

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