They may not be the best teams to watch out for presently, lying in the bottom half of the competition, but there is plenty to suggest that Delhi Daredevils (DD) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the potential to go the distance.
In fact, every team can back itself in this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where form and reputation don't have a lasting influence. DD and KKR, with three wins each, meet here on Monday.
The pitch and the weather should not cause any worry but the non-availability of certain players certainly would. Gautam Gambhir and Ashish Nehra, nursing injuries, continue to remain doubtful.
For DD, an explosive performance from Virender Sehwag and Dinesh Karthik would go a long way in consolidating the brilliance of David Warner, the left-handed strokemaker from New South Wales. The Australian is quite an under-rated professional even though DD has stood to gain from his presence in the top order.
Just as his compatriot Dirk Nannes has lent sharpness to the bowling with his left-arm pace, not to forget the toiling leg-spinner Amit Mishra.
Inconsistent
Gambhir has not played the last three matches and Sehwag has been inconsistent with 198 runs in six innings even though he stands tall as the highest individual run getter in the team.
Nehra is yet to play a match and the bench strength of DD has looked woeful with the likes of Yogesh Nagar looking out of place.
For KKR, Manoj Tiwary and Sourav Ganguly have batted the best, Shane Bond has fired the ball as is his wont but the most rousing contribution has come from left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who has emerged the captain's bowler with his crafty ware.
That he can be summoned to bowl in any situation speaks for Kartik's abilities. The pressure on Kartik has increased due to the awful line that Ishant Sharma has pursued match after match.
A fiery contest between Bond and Sehwag or Chris Gayle and Nannes can make your evening. Expect some heady stuff at the Ferozeshah Kotla!
