The Daredevils and the Supergiant will go head to head in Friday’s only IPL clash.
While the Daredevils stand no chance of qualifying for the Eliminator / Playoff stage of the IPL, they could yet have a big say in whether or not the Supergiant are able to hang on to their place in the top four.
Can the Daredevils put in the sort of performance that they displayed against the Gujarat Lions or will they crumble to yet another sub-100 score?
DD vs RPS | Friday 12 May 2017 | Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi | 16:30
To Win Match
Daredevils 1/1 | Tie 35/1 | Supergiant 82/100
Delhi Daredevils
The Daredevils’ season has been plagued by the sort of wild inconsistency that has seen them just out of reach of the play-offs. Look at their last three games for instance: They chased down 208 in 17.3 overs against the Gujarat Lions before being bundled out for 66 by the Mumbai Indians. They turned it on again against the Lions a few days later, chasing down 195 with two balls to spare.
So which Daredevils side will show up on Friday? The truth is I have no idea! There’s no real pattern to their form, they either arrive ready to pile on the runs, or they turn up to fulfil a fixture. Much of the pressure will fall on the shoulders of Sanju Samson, Karun Nair and Shreyas Iyer who have been getting the bulk of the runs this season.
If these guys fire against an RPS side who will be without Imran Tahir, I reckon they can get the 190+ score they need if they’re to compete against a loaded top order. Much remains to be seen though, we could easily see the Delhi franchise fold for a sub-100 score.
I worry a bit for the Daredevils’ attack. Without Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada, I think they could be on the end of a bit of a lashing. Big performances are needed from Zaheer Khan and Pat Cummins on Friday.
Rising Pune Supergiant
The Supergiant have also been affected by national call-ups with Imran Tahir and the under-utilised Faf du Plessis both joining up with the South African squad ahead of their tour to England. Ben Stokes will remain with the side for the remainder of the tournament, however.
They’ll be all too aware that they’ve not secured qualification to the Qualifier / Eliminator series yet due to their poor net run rate. The Pune franchise need to win at least one of their remaining two matches to secure their top-four spot – something they’ll no doubt look to secure on Friday.
Adam Zampa is likely to get his third start of the season here as he comes in for the departing Tahir. The Australian leggie has only taken two wickets in two games and will need to step up to the plate if he wants to be an effective replacement for his South African teammate.
I still think the Supergiant come into this match as firm favourites. You simply can’t ignore the firepower they possess in their top and middle order with the likes of Steve Smith, MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane and Stokes.
Verdict: Rising Pune Supergiant 82/100
I just feel like the Daredevils have lost too much quality in the form of Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris to really compete against the Supergiant. We also need to take into consideration that a win for the Pune franchise will see them secure a place in the top four – the visitors will be up for this one, back them to come good at 82/100.
