Delhi set to taste Punjabi tadka
Having destroyed most bowling attacks in this edition of the Indian Premier League, the Kings XI Punjab juggernaut now have the offcolour Delhi Daredevils in their sights.
With Orange Cap holder Glenn Maxwell leading the way, the Punjab lineup, which features several talented batsmen like David Miller, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha and George Bailey have unleashed the heavy artillery on the hapless opposition.
Maxwell’s explosive batting has been pure entertainment. Having scored a whopping 517 runs in 10 games, the right- hander seems unstoppable when he gets going.
When the 25- year- old Aussie is unable to fetch runs, Miller, Bailey and rest ensure that the Punjab orchestra keeps on playing. This has enabled them to chase down targets exceeding 200 runs on more than one occasion.
In fact, the Kings XI batting has been so impres- sive that opener Virender Sehwag’s indifferent form has hardly made a difference.
Having won eight of the 10 matches they have played so far, it would need a minor miracle to prevent Punjab from clinching their ninth victory at the Ferozshah Kotla on Monday.
Delhi, on the other hand, are in complete disarray. The Kevin Pietersen- led side have managed just two wins from their 11 matches. Their losing streak now reads six matches at last count - four of them at home.
Pietersen, who was bought by Delhi for ` 9 crore, has not done justice to his price tag.
The former England batsman has been a shadow of his usually electric self, although he has done well in the last couple of games.
The top- order, though respectable on paper, has not performed to potential.
Dinesh Karthik has done well occasionally, but the likes of Murali Vijay, Mayank Agarwal and Pietersen have been inconsistent.
The saving grace has been lower- order batsmen Jean- Paul Duminy, who has come to the team’s rescue several times. The South African is sixth in the list of top scorers and it is inexplicable why the Delhi think tank does not allow him to bat further up.
The poor performance of the bowlers has not helped the hosts’ cause either. Led by Bengal pacer Mohammed Shami, the Daredevils’ bowling attack is decidedly pace heavy and the addition of South African spinner Imran Tahir has not helped matters.
The only consolation that the Delhi fans can take is the fact that their team have nothing to lose. Having hit rock bottom, the only way for the Daredevils is up. But can they stop the Punjab steamroller?