English
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) face Delhi Daredevils (DD) in the second clash of Pepsi the Indian Premier League or IPL 2015. CSK have won the trophy two times in IPL history (2010 and 2011), while the best that DD has managed is to reach the Playoffs in 2012. The Delhi team seems to be in menacing form from what we hear coming out of the practice sessions. CSK meanwhile is cool and relaxed like their skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but ready to set the pitch on fire with their performances in IPL 8.
Both teams will try and get a winning start in their first game, but if we had to place our bets, we would just put our money on CSK as the obvious choice. DD has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to becoming a reliable team that you can bank upon, and they owe it to their loyal fans. We take a look at five game-changers who could change the match in their favour during the CSK vs DD IPL 2015 match.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
The coolest player in the tournament, who heads the CSK team, will go straight in to the match with the home field advantage, playing at the MA Chinnaswamy Stadium in Chennai. With an average strike rate of over 142, Dhoni will not only be a key player in setting the score if the top order fails to deliver but also keep the team on track with his composed innings as a batsman and wicket-keeper. [Read: MS Dhoni adds Kawasaki Ninja H2 to his bike collection; posts picture on Instagram, Facebook]
Brendon McCullum
The man who kicked off IPL in 2008 with a blistering innings of 158* has not really played a similar innings after that. But he has the potential to make hard hitters look like toddlers when he gets in his zone. With an average strike rate of over 122 in IPL history, McCullum will be a player on whom CSK will rely heavily to play his shots and absolutely batter the ego of the Delhi bowlers.
Dwayne Bravo
The Caribbean talent in the CSK team isn’t scarce and Dwayne Bravo is the all-rounder who can not only topple wickets but also smack the ball to all parts of the stadium with a bat in his hands. Bravo is a versatile talent who will need to perform in both innings, provided he gets to bat as well because, he will definitely be given the ball to bowl the DD batsmen over with some variation in his deliveries.
Jean-Paul Duminy
The Delhi Daredevils skipper is a menace on the field for bowlers when he starts getting his shots off in the right zone. He can adapt very well to a situation and that is an amazing quality needed by a leader of a team that is struggling to make its mark. He is quick on the field to pounce on the ball and throw it back to the pitch without delay. JP Duminy will need to take his boys along with him if they want to win this match against CSK.
Mohammed Shami
The silent assassin from the Indian national cricket team will be an important player in tonight’s match, especially due to his ability to swing the ball. This kind of ball is not easy to play and with the right variation which Mohammed Shami is able to provide, the batsmen could be beaten till they get frustrated and make a mistake. Delhi Daredevils needs Shami to bowl his deliveries at the right length and have the batsmen swinging wildly without any confidence about the movement of the ball! Because that’s how DD will pick up wickets and topple the CSK batting. (Edited by Shweta Parande)
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest Indian Premier League 2015 News on India.com.
