Eyes on Gambhir to end dry run
DELHI DAREDEVILS ExIndia opener is back home after leading Knight Riders to two titles and will look to team up with an equally aggressive coach in Ricky Ponting in the hunt for a maiden crown
NEWDELHI: With a new captain in Gautam Gambhir and coach (Ricky Ponting) at the helm, Delhi Daredevils will be desperately hoping for a turnaround this season.
Gautam Gambhir has returned to Delhi Daredevils, having left in 2010. Having led Kolkata Knight Riders to two titles in 2012 and 2014, Gambhir has established himself as one the most sought after captains in IPL. Only Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni can match his star power as far as IPL captaincy goes.
An intense player, Gambhir had marshalled his resources well during his reign at KKR and stood out for his ability to out-think the opposition. He has led with example with the bat, laying the foundation for big scores while opening the batting.
Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, on the other hand, comes from the stable of Mumbai Indians. He played at MI and then joined the think-tank playing a key role in their successes. Having moved to Delhi Daredevils as coach, it will interesting to see how his partnership with Gambhir unfolds. Both are aggressive in their approach to cricket and like to play with intensity. And they would not expect anything different from the players.
Delhi Daredevils, despite possessing several game-changers in their ranks over the years, have failed to live up to their billing. They have finished out of the top five in the last five seasons.
The franchise has opted for a young and dynamic squad this season, drawing players from India’s victorious ICC U-19 World Cup winning team, and topping it up with experienced overseas players like Glenn Maxwell, Trent Boult and Chris Morris who can turn a match on its head in a couple of overs. DD has given a platform to India’s under-19 World Cup winning captain Prithvi Shaw and star of the final, Manjot Kalra, to prove their worth in the big league. They have the firepower of Kagiso Rabada in the pace department and strong batting with the presence of Gambhir, Maxwell, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Colin Munro. The bowling, however, could be a worry with not much experience in the ranks.
Tomorrow: Kings XI Punjab