Delhi Daredevils has won a grand total of one match in its last 11 at its home ground. Friday’s match against Kings XI Punjab will be its last of the season at the Ferozeshah Kotla, and the Daredevils will desperately hope to leave the city on a winning note.
The visitors are in equally dire straits, and it was the Daredevils who won the last match between the two sides.
Ahead of the game, though, Yuvraj Singh said he believes Delhi still has the firepower to muscle its way into the playoffs.
“I don’t think we are struggling to win. We lost one game, then we won one and lost another. T20 is a very unpredictable format. But we need to win a few more games consistently to qualify for the last four. We have the guys to do that. We just need two or three special performances,” Yuvraj said.
Incumbent bottom-dwellers Kings XI Punjab’s coach Sanjay Bangar is equally confident of his side’s chances of making it to the top four.
“Momentum is always a factor. When you are playing matches at this frequency, a win can propel you to three-four more.
“Everyone knows it’s an even competition. I would say, even now, that all eight teams have a chance of making it to the play-offs,” Bangar said.
He admitted that injuries have hampered the team’s progress. The last edition’s runner-up has also struggled with big names like Virender Sehwag and Glenn Maxwell failing to come good.
But Bangar defended his players.
“The kind of format this is, there have been some big players who haven’t been able to perform at some stage or the other in the IPL. Sometimes, because of the team combination or lack of form, big players do have to miss out.
“As for Maxwell, when he gets into a rhythm and connects, the shots go out of the ground. We still believe he will leave a big impact on the tournament,” Bangar said.
On his players’ injuries, Bangar said: “We have some injury issues so haven’t decided on anything. Shaun Marsh is hit on the toe, and George Bailey on his shoulder; so we have to wait and watch. We will be able to decide only tomorrow,” Bangar added.
