IPL 2018, DD vs CSK: 5 players to look forward to

Delhi Daredevils (DD) have had a very disappointing campaign in the VIVO IPL 2018. Their season can be compared to that of KXIP where few players have shone, but as a team, they have struggled to stitch together winning performances on a regular basis.

IPL is a tournament where reputations don’t count for much if the players are unable to perform on the given day. A classic example of this would be Gautam Gambhir, who had been a real revelation as a captain and batsman for his former franchise KKR but proved to be a damp squib for DD.

He ended up dropping himself from the team which was a brave yet positive move. It allowed the youngster Shreyas Iyer to take over as the captain and carry the franchise forward. The move to change skippers hasn’t yielded too many positive results but it’s a step in the right direction for DD as they look to build their team for the next few years.

CSK on the other hand, after coming back to the IPL after a hiatus of two years have shown why they are the real bosses of IPL. They became the only franchise to make it to the playoffs in all the nine seasons they have played in. That’s some achievement, displaying how consistent they have been as a franchise.

In tonight’s game, with DD well and truly out of the race for the playoffs, they will look to play for pride, put on a good performance for their fans who have stood by them despite them being 8th on the points table.

CSK would want to address some issues which has plagued their campaign, mainly the bowling in this game against DD at the Kotla. If they win tonight’s fixture, they are assured of a top-two finish, which is enough motivation for CSK.

On a ground where CSK have won four times in the last five games, here’s looking at 5 players to look forward to in tonight’s clash:

Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu has announced himself onto the world stage, yet again. He has perennially in and out of the Indian limited overs teams. His lack of consistency cost him a place in the Indian team. He was looking at converting his good form in the domestic circuit into big runs for CSK this IPL.

And that is exactly what he has done. The attacking right hand batsman has got the opportunity to open the batting and has made that position his own. He has effortlessly gone about his business, and has converted the starts into big scores.

And having looked at his performances off late, the Indian selectors have picked him in the limited overs squad for the England series. He’s back in the big league again.

The way he paced his innings against SRH in the chase is enough proof that he’s capable of switching gears when required. After Kedhar Jadhav was ruled out of the IPL with an injury, MS Dhoni would certainly be a relieved man to see how well Ambati Rayudu has stepped up his game.

He is number 5 on the top run scorers in this season of the IPL. With 535 runs in 12 games with an average of 48.64 and strike rate of 152.86, he has certainly been a destructive force at the top of the order.

DD would hope that their pace spearhead Trent Boult can remove him early, if not things are not going to be good for them as Ambati Rayudu in this form can take the game away from DD single-handedly.

Rishabh Pant

Another player who has displayed his full potential this IPL has been DD’s wicket keeper and their best batsman, Rishabh Pant. This youngster has demolished the best of bowlers with efficient ease.

It is indeed frustrating to see that despite his heroics almost every game, DD find themselves with 3 wins out of 12 games. It’s his shot selection and ability to convert starts into big scores which has impressed one and all watching.

He has grown in stature in this IPL. He has amassed 582 runs in 12 games at a mind-boggling strike rate of 179.82. If only he had received the support of few of his other teammates, DD could have also been in the hunt for the playoffs.

With their last two games to be played at the Kotla, with nothing to lose, DD will look to play party spoilers for CSK by denying them a top two finish. And Rishabh Pant would just want to go out and express himself in the way he knows best, and entertain the crowds to finish of a truly magnificent IPL season for him.

Deepak Chahar

This tall, young fast bowler has been a find coming out of the CSK team. A team which has had its struggles to find the right combination as far as their bowlers go, Deepak Chahar has been a standout.

His natural ability to swing the ball both ways at a nippy pace allows MSD the opportunity to attack and get wickets upfront. His strength truly lies when the ball is hard and new, where he has troubled most opposition batsmen.

MSD has used him brilliantly. He has bowled out Deepak Chahar by the 10th over of the innings. It’s good to see that each player has got fixed roles in their side, one of the reasons they are second on the points table.

The likes of Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, and Shane Watson are used as death bowling options, whereas Deepak Chahar is used as an attacking option at the top of the innings. This youngster may have got only 7 wickets this season, but it’s the control he brings at the top of the innings with a measly economy rate which what stands out.

Don’t be surprised if you see Deepak Chahar bowl all his overs in one spell unless someone like a Rishabh Pant takes him out of the attack.

Dwayne Bravo

Chennai Super Kings bowler Dwayne Bravo

Can the real Dwayne Bravo please stand up? That would be what MSD would hope to see in the remainder of the games heading into the playoffs. He is the bowler CSK trusts to go to when it comes to death bowling.

And Dwayne Bravo has been a letdown this IPL. He hasn’t had much of a hit post his heroics in the IPL 2018 opener against MI where he singlehandedly won CSK won the game from a losing cause.

Like Deepak Chahar, even Dwayne Bravo has a fixed role in the CSK side. It is to bowl 3-4 overs at the death overs and be relatively inexpensive. And with the bat, come and tee off from the first ball. His bowling has tapered off, as his variations have been easy to pick.

Someone who regularly takes wickets at the death overs has been very expensive and that is a serious concern for CSK heading into the playoffs. With Kieron Pollard making an emphatic return to the MI team, can Dwayne “DJ” Bravo also find his lost form?

The fans at the Kotla and DD would hope not, but for the tournament as a whole, it would be really nice to have Dwayne Bravo return to his confident, aggressive and attacking best.

MS Dhoni

MSD

There is some cosmic connection when MSD wears the yellow jersey to represent the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He transforms into a different player altogether.

His transformation in this IPL with the bat is really good signs for CSK and more importantly for the Indian team heading into the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019.

There were calls of him stepping away from the T20 format for India, which seemed like a fair argument considering his dip in form in recent times. What this season of IPL has done is to shut those critics who doubted MSD’s position in the team.

Clean hitting, having found most of his finishing touch back, MSD looks calm and relaxed this IPL. He has an emotional connect with CSK and I guess that’s transpired in him performing so well as compared to the last two years with Rising Pune Supergiants. MSD was not good with the bat, and he lost his captaincy to Steve Smith.

He has returned to his adopted home, CSK and has rolled back the clock. He is surely one of the reasons for CSK’s dominance in IPL 2018. And although today’s game is going to be played at the Kotla, don’t be surprised to see the fans cheer for MSD- as where ever CSK plays, it is almost like a home game for them,