KXIP square-off against DD in Mohali on Sunday.
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will be taking on Delhi Daredevils (DD) at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Sunday in the second match of IPL 2018. After remodelling their squad by making some star-studded purchases at the auctions and appointing R Ashwin as their skipper, Punjab will be raring to get off the blocks with a victory. However, making a return to his hometown, Gautam Gambhir has one goal in his mind- to lead the Devils to their first IPL title and thus look to topple KXIP at their own den. An interesting fact about both the teams is that they have had an identical number of captains in the past decade- 10. After undergoing mediocre seasons in the previous editions and a title eluding them so far, the 2018 edition offers them a chance to rectify the mistakes and hence it will be interesting to see which of the two teams get the winning momentum on their side.
What’s in the kitty?
With Aaron Finch unavailable due to personal commitments, opening the batting for Punjab will be Chris Gayle. Gayle is the only batsmen to accumulate more than 10,000 runs in the shortest format and if he gets going then KXIP will be hard to stop with several other hard-hitters in their line-up. What will also be intriguing is how Ashwin leads the side for the first time. With the injury to Kagiso Rabada, DD have suffered a huge setback before the tournament could even begin. However, Gambhir’s optimism coupled with coach Ricky Ponting’s aggressive mindset will not let the devils get bogged down and their approach in the tournament will be worth the watch. With a win percentage of 43.10 DD have the worst record in IPL but KXIP are also just behind them on the list with 46.63 % and that is something both teams will look to improve.
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Limitations
Despite boasting of a power-packed line-up, one area that might cause KXIP some trouble is the lack of a specialist wicketkeeper. KL Rahul is most likely to assume the responsibility but he has been guilty of missing chances at times. Another area which might worry the Punjab side is a relatively inexperienced pace-bowling attack which could be exposed by international batsmen.
With a perfect blend of youth and experience, it seems Delhi have all the bases covered. But the one area that they might be exposed is the lack of an experienced middle-order. Quite similar to KXIP, DD too have suffered collapses due to an unseasoned middle-order. In high-scoring run chases, this might well become the determining factor for a win or loss.
Yuvraj Singh and Chris Gayle will be the ones to watch out for.
Players to watch out for
Both teams have several match winners among their ranks. From KXIP, the dangerous Chris Gayle and Yuvraj Singh are surely the ones to watch out for. After enjoying a terrific domestic season, Mayank Agarwal will also be a key player.
Kiwi opener Colin Munro will most likely open the batting with Gambhir and he can be a match-winner on his own day. With the ball Mohammed Shami, Trent Boult will be leading DD’s pace attack. All-rounder Chris Morris and Glenn Maxwell are the other players. If young Sandeep Lamichhane from Nepal gets a game then he will also draw the attention of fans from across the border.