Defending champion Delhi looks prepared to take on an unpredictable Jammu and Kashmir in its campaign-opener of the North Zone one-day league at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in Delhi on Thursday.
In the other matches, Punjab faces Haryana at the Jamia Millia ground while Services hosts Himachal Pradesh at the Palam ground. In the past few seasons, the competition among the six teams in the zone, especially in the limited-over contests, has been quite close.
Unlike the days when Delhi, Punjab and Haryana formed the top-half of the final standings, Himachal, Services and J&K have proved capable of causing an upset or two.
Delhi, which looks the best on paper, has the services of all available names except Ishant Sharma, who has been ruled out for the first two matches.
Players keen
With this being the beginning of the limited-over domestic season, players are naturally keen to get into form so that they can make their presence felt in the season-ending Indian Premier League.
Considering the fact that winter is yet to make way for summer in the Capital, Gambhir was particular that the toss should not be overwhelmingly decisive. Looking at the team's resources, Delhi has the experience to deal with any challenge.
The presence of Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Unmukt Chand, Mithun Manhas, Rajat Bhatia, Ashish Nehra, Parwinder Awana and Sumit Narwal, gives the team the look of the favourite.
With Vikas Tokas, wicketless in two matches last season, replacing Ishant, it remains to be seen how he cashes in on the available opportunity.
J&K upbeat
J&K, upbeat after reaching the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals for the first time this season, has very little to lose. The in-form Ian Dev Singh and skipper Parveez Rasool remain the chief source of confidence for the team. No wonder, none of its opponents will take it lightly any more.
At Jamia, where the firm-looking pitch offers some grass, Punjab and Haryana promise a cracking contest. Though both teams have very little knowledge of the conditions, Punjab is likely to get better since it is due to play four of its five matches here.
With Punjab and Haryana equipped with good pace bowlers, the team batting first can expect challenging times. “We have a very good team with a number of all-rounders. We have flexibility in batting and the youngsters are raring to come good on the big stage,” said Punjab coach Bhupinder Singh.
Services, semifinalist in the Ranji Trophy last season, has done precious little this time around. It faces Himachal that is known for its inconsistent and unpredictable performances.
Overall, Delhi and Punjab look good to take the two qualifying spots in the knockout phase of the 10-team Vijay Hazare trophy.
