IPL 2018: Match 22, Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab - Expectation vs Reality

Bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils will take on a motivated Kings XI Punjab for the second time in the fortnight. Delhi Daredevils will now begin their campaign at home at Feroz Shah Kotla for two consecutive games and will try to make sure they begin their proceedings at home on a winning note. The assurance that these two games will be played at home will be vital for them considering they have lost four out of their five games played so far.

KXIP are riding high on an all-round performance in the league with their openers in supreme form with vital contributions from the bowling unit. However, DD, on the other hand, have plenty of problems to address because individual performances haven’t really got them the kind of success they expected and their bowling line-up looks thin. The fact that one of their major players, Glenn Maxwell, has been topsy-turvy has worked against them too.

Here are the expectations we have for the fixture tomorrow:

Rishabh Pant in his own den

One of the few positives for DD in the games so far has been the fact that Rishabh Pant has been striking the ball very well. His last three innings read 47, 43 and 85. Even though his 85-run-knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore ended in the losing cause, he will take confidence from the performance knowing how commanding he was when he was on the crease.

For DD to step out of their situation of desperation where they will probably need at least 7 wins in the remaining 9 games, Pant will have to continue doing the job for his side. He will be batting at Feroz Shah Kotla, his home ground, and that is the perfect opportunity for him to capitalize on. With plenty of spin on offer from KXIP, he will hope his clean striking helps him guide his side.

Ashwin to spin a web

As a captain who has been handed the opportunity to lead his side for the first time, Ashwin must be elated to see his team coming good and all his tactics being rewarded. However, for Ashwin the bowler, he may not be fully satisfied with his performance since he has picked 5 wickets in 5 matches with an average economy. With him exploring the leg-spinner of him and adding new tricks to his armory of variations, he will be hoping to unleash it against DD at Kotla.

His bowling to someone like Jason Roy, who has been vulnerable against spinners, will be a good opportunity for him to start the proceedings. Gambhir, Pant, and Shreyas Iyer are all good players of spin and even though Maxwell is capable of depositing spinners in the stands, Ashwin’s variations against him can do the trick.

Here’s the reality check right after the match…

Shreyas Iyer makes it his den

For a Mumbai lad doing well for a Dekhi-based outfit is a sight alone. Shreyas Iyer looked like he almost guided his team home. His 57-ball-knock off 47 balls was a calm, calculate chase but it did not end up being successful as he was dismissed on the final ball of the innings when the side needed 4 runs.

A demoted Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, was subjected to the same treatment Virat Kohli was by young Afghan spinner Mujeeb Rehman. It breached the gate, they said and today’s dismissal was a near-mirror-image of that delivery which Pant couldn’t pick either. Without his contribution, the onus was on Iyer to chase it down alone with momentary help from Rahul Tewatia.

Mujeeb spins it instead

Even though skipper Ashwin was the most economical he has been in a long time, he wasn’t among the wickets. He conceded only 19 runs in his quota of 4 overs at a miser economy rate of 4.75. However, apart from his own bowling and funky captaincy that has reaped him immense success so far, he will be proud of his young spinner Mujeeb.

First, he breached the defenses of Pant and dismissed him on a single digit with a peach of a delivery. Second, he bowed at death, in the last over, in a crucial match situation where a well-set Iyer was inches away from guiding his team to victory and dismissed him in the ultimate ball of the match. With that,  Punjab won the match by 4 runs.

Stay updated on ‘today’s cricket news‘ with CricTracker.com