Massive CSK test for resurgent DD

On the back of a resounding victory, Delhi Daredevils will be keen to keep that momentum going when they lock horns against a mighty Chennai Super Kings at Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune on Monday.

Following the poor start in this year's campaign, Delhi made a sharp comeback in their second home game and defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by a massive 55 runs to keep their hopes alive of making into the playoffs.

After Gautam Gambhir stepped down as the skipper, Shreyas Iyer was elevated to that position to change the team's fortune.

The 23- year-old Mumbai player, who made his debut for India last November against New Zealand, quickly made an impression and guided Delhi to a mammoth total of 219 runs.

Iyer led from the front, with an unbeaten 93 of 40 balls with three fours and 10 sixes. He is also the team's leading run-scorer with 244 runs from seven games at an average of 61.00.

His Mumbai team-mate and Indian U-19 captain Prithvi Shaw quickly got into the stride, making 62 of 44 balls in only his second IPL start.

Among others, T20 biggies Colin Munro and Glenn Maxwell looked in good touch against KKR with short but impactful innings. However, both are yet to make a big contribution and will hope Monday is there day.

Delhi will also be expecting Rishabh Pant to bounce back, following his golden duck in the last game. Pant was retained by DD and had a good tournament so far with 227 runs from seven games.

It'll be interesting to see if Delhi shuffles the team's winning combination. If it doesn't, then former captain Gautam Gambhir has to sit in the dugout again.

In the bowling front Kiwi pacer Trent Boult is going well. He is the team's leading wicket taker with 11 scalps from seven games. He is supported well by Liam Plunkett and Avesh Khan.

Delhi is currently placed at the bottom of the table with 4 points in seven games.

On the other side, Mahendra Singh Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings have been ruthless this season, securing 10 points from seven games.

After winning their first two games in the final over, CSK lost to Kings XI Punjab by four runs in their subsequent clash.

But, they made a quick recovery and won the next three games on the bounce against Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

However, the eight-wicket loss against Mumbai Indians in their last game on Saturday will be a setback for the side, which has dominated the tournament so far with power packed performance.

In the batting front, Orange cap holder Ambati Rayudu is enjoying the form of his life with 329 runs from seven games. While captain MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Shane Watson are also going good with the bat and have scored 235, 204 and 203 runs respectively.

The biggest concern lies in the bowling department. Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh and Imran Tahir have failed to stop the run flow, causing a big headache for Dhoni. The team lacks a proper death bowler who can finish off the things.

Considering the wicket at the MCA stadium, English pacer David Willey, who came as a replacement for injured Kedar Jadhav, might replace injured Deepak Chahar, who is out for a week with an injury.