Daijiworld Media Network
New Delhi, May 15: Welcome to the Yamuna Derby. After 63 matches in this year's IPL, Delhi lock horns with Punjab for the first time today. The match is being played at the Ferozshah Kotla and Delhi will look to win today in order to seal their place in the play-offs. A win for Punjab will keep their chances of qualifying for the play-offs alive. Stay tuned for the toss and the team updates.
Kings XI Punjab have won the toss and elected to bat
David Hussey: When a team is playing without fear, we play more freely. We have some good guys coming up. Mandeep and Gurkeerat are the players to watch out for. Delhi are a great time and we have to do the basics correctly. We will bat first. It looks like a good wicket. Miller replaces Harris and Harmeet Singh replaces Chitnis comes in.
Sehwag: I am not worried about winning and losing. Ross Taylor is back into the side. The toss does not matter much. Ross Taylor replaces van der Merwe. Negi replaces Nagar. We hope to deliver.
Teams:
Delhi Daredevils (Playing XI): David Warner, Virender Sehwag(c), Mahela Jayawardene, Ross Taylor, Naman Ojha(w), Venugopal Rao, Irfan Pathan, Pawan Negi, Morne Morkel, Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav
Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): Nitin Saini(w), Mandeep Singh, Shaun Marsh, David Hussey(c), Azhar Mahmood, David Miller, Gurkeerat Singh, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, Parvinder Awana, Harmeet Singh
Preview:
It can be expected that either Pawan Negi or Shahbaz Nadeem - both of whom have done well -- will be back in the playing XI. While Warner, Mahela Jayawardene and Morkel are automatic choices, it remains to be seen whether Andre Russell or Ross Taylor make a comeback in place of Roloef van der Merwe.
The KXIP side bears a settled a look despite the fact that regular skipper Adam Gilchrist hasn't made a comeback since he got injured. Hussey hasn't done a bad job and Gilchrist will expect that his bunch of pretenders pull off another upset.
A big factor can be KXIP's bowler of the season Parvinder Awana. The second highest wicket-taker of the last domestic season knows the Kotla track like the back of his hand and his inputs will certainly help his team.
Also the presence of Azhar Mahmood has changed the complexion of the side as the veteran all-rounder has given it the much-needed balance.