Balance has always been Delhi Daredevils' virtue but the team is yet to win an IPl title. Harshit Bisht says this time round there is hope & skill in equal measure
Delhi Daredevils haven't tasted success in the first 10 seasons of the Indian Premier league despite having big shots in their squad. This time round, they would like to change the scenario boasting of one of the few well-balanced squads in fray.
With the inclusion of local boy and former KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir, Delhi is aiming to bring home the IPl glory — an accomplishment which has remained elusive thus far. Delhi is the only team in IPl to have featured in all the 10 seasons of the competition and not won a title or reached a title deciding match.
The addition of destructive Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, English opener Jason Roy and the only cricketer to smash three T20 International centuries Colin Munro from New Zealand is worthy of special mention.
Apart from these batsmen, the side also has Naman Ojha, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Gurkeerat Maan Singh to strengthen the middle order. The squad features U-19 Indian skipper Prithvi Shaw and teammate and Man of the Final last year Manjot Kalra.
On the bowling front, Delhi look fearsome with names like Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult and Mohammad Shami leading the pace attack while Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem and Jayant Yadav wager to spin magic.
The Delhi side will be under the guidance of former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting who was previously associated with Mumbai Indians.
Balanced squad
One of the major advantages for perennial underachievers Delhi is that unlike other franchises, they are laced with some good quality all-rounders along with an aggressive captain this time around.
Gautam Gambhir who played for Delhi in the first three seasons before moving to Kolkata in 2011 for Rs 11.4 crore and winning two championships there, is the backbone of Delhi's destructive batting line-up.
The 36-year-old former Indian opener who played an anchoring role for KKR in the 2017 edition, is also IPl’s fourth highest all time run scorer with 4132 runs in 148 matches.
Apart from the local boy who was bought for Rs 2.8 crore, the team also comprises of World No 1 and No 2 T20 batsmen Colin Munro and Glenn Maxwell who are in terrific form before heading into the tournament.
Delhi's another plus point in the tournament is the young but dependable Indian lot of Shreyas Iyer, Rishbah Pant and recently crowned junior World Cup winners Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Kalra.
With Shaw and Kalra as debutants in this edition, experienced Rishabh and Iyer will eye to perform brilliantly and seal a place in the national side for the England tour. Iyer and Pant were retained by Delhi ahead of the auctions because of their previous season’s performance where they scored 338 and 366 runs respectively.
The capital based franchise's bowling department is complementary to the batting unit.
World No 1 Test bowler Kagiso Rabada will be leading the pace attack alongside Trent Boult whose exact line and length bowling will make him a dangerous aspect. The overseas talisman will be backed by Indian pacer Mohammad Shami who'll be eager to come back strong in the field after recent controversies.
The spin department will be under the control of IPl's second highest wicket taker Amit Mishra, who has clinched 134 wickets in 126 games along with 3 hat tricks in the IPl. The veteran Indian spinner will be supported by Shahbaz Nadeem and Jayant Yadav.
Apart from these players, retained South African all rounder Chris Morris will provide balance to the Delhi side.
the snags
Delhi's major challenge ahead of the tournament is to overcome the jinx of poor performancesacross all these years. Delhi holds the record of most IPl losses and to shed that tag the side has to perform as a unit which they have failed to do so far.
Although the guidance of Gambhir and Ponting will be a huge boost for the side, the lack of experience in handling pressure can cost the team.