The Delhi Daredevils and the Mumbai Indians will begin this season’s Indian Premier League campaign with a game against each other at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi on Sunday.
It has been interesting last three years for the two sides. Delhi had the bitter-sweet experience of getting to the semi-finals in the first two editions of the tournament but not progressing further while Mumbai failed to understand the format during the those two years and lost out without getting to the last four stage. It changed around for both teams last year; Delhi crashed out in the first round while Mumbai went on to enter the final of the tournament.
Delhi v Mumbai odds:
Delhi have come into the tournament with a drastically different side, giving up on all their players except Virender Sehwag. Mumbai have been understandably more stable than before, choosing to retain all the allowed four players and signing up some of their old domestic signings. And it is for this main reason that Mumbai should go into the game as favourites – 4/7 at BetFred to Delhi’s 13/8 at William Hill.
Ground and Pitch:
The Kotla track has been in the news in the past for all the wrong reasons, what with a slower track that allows the bowlers to come into their own at the expense of attractive cricket. It was quite similar in the World Cup as well and it will continue to remain the same in this game. Expect the really quick bowlers like Varun Aaron to get some assistance from the lack of bounce.
Player News:
Mumbai Indians retained the quartet of Sachin Tendulkar (2/1 at Blue Square), Kieron Pollard (8/1 at Stan James), Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga for this edition of the tournament. However, where the plot thickens is that they have also brought in Andrew Symonds (7/1 at Boylesports) for this season of the IPL, adding to the middle-order strength and allowing an extra option with the ball. Symonds should slip into the mantle of an all-rounder in place of Dwayne Bravo who had donned this role last year.
Another Deccan Chargers player from last year, Rohit Sharma (9/2 at Blue Square), also makes it to the squad and should be an interesting pick in the middle-order. Rohit is originally from Mumbai and would be glad to be back, playing for the side that he has all his first class career, under the tutelage of Tendulkar.
Barring Sehwag (13/5 at bet365), Delhi need someone in the top-order to put their hand up and take up the mantle to bat through the innings. In David Warner (7/2 at Paddy Power), they have a batsman who can blaze away in a Sehwag-like fashion but if the side needs stability, then someone like Naman Ojha (6/1 at BetFred) could be drafted in to open the innings for the side. One of Andrew McDonald (12/1 at Boylesports) and James Hopes (14/1 at Boylesports) should make it to the middle-order and partner Irfan Pathan (14/1 at Boylesports) as the all-rounders in the side. Colin Ingram (6/1 at Paddy Power) should bat in the middle-order after not getting too many chances in the recently concluded World Cup.
Prediction:
Mumbai (4/7 at BetFred) will be favourites to clinch this one but the pace bowling duo of Aaron and Morne Morkel could turn it around for the Daredevils.
