The third of four Indian Premier League double headers this Bank Holiday weekend begins in Chandigarh as the Kings XI Punjab take on the Delhi Daredevils in a what which could scarcely be bigger for either side.
Both these sides have matches in hand of the teams above them in the table but they have both fallen adrift at the foot of the league and so they desperately need to get winning again to get their campaigns back on track.
Kings XI Punjab
The Kings XI were blasted away by the Sunrisers in their last match but they won’t be the last team that happens to so they shouldn’t panic but they do need to appreciate where they went wrong and try and put it right. It was with the ball where they were ordinary and that has been a trend of their tournament.
Worryingly they started messing with their combination in the Sunrisers match and that is never a good sign. Admittedly losing Hashim Amla to injury was a blow but there was no need to mess with the structure of the side and they paid a heavy price for that. We should expect them to go back to what was working.
Delhi Daredevils
After a bright start to the campaign the Daredevils have now dropped their last three matches so that is a run they will be looking to end in this match. They haven’t necessarily played badly in those matches but they have failed to finish off their innings with the bat and that has carried over into their bowling which is a concern.
They really need to get back to bowling properly, taking wickets with the new ball and squeezing the runs to bring the spinners and change options into the game later in the piece. They have just gone away from that in the last match or two and they have been punished accordingly so they need to get back to their plans.
Team News
Kings XI are expecting to have Hashim Amla back so he could return in place of Martin Guptill. He could also come back for Eoin Morgan if the Punjab side choose to go down that route.
Delhi Daredevils have Marlon Samuels available for this match but whether they want to play an overseas batsman remains to be seen. Zaheer Khan is hopeful of playing despite his injury in their last match.
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Betting
I think we saw enough in the opening match on this ground to suggest this will be a high scoring match. I would fancy Delhi’s bowling attack to get the job done here ahead of a poor Kings XI one but I think the better bet lies elsewhere.
It is with the sixes. I mentioned in the previous game here how this isn’t a ground for multiples of sixes and with Delhi not the biggest hitting side but being hard to get away I’m not expecting many sixes here either. Amazingly the line has gone up a notch from the last game here but that doesn’t sway me from taking the unders.
Chris Morris has gone well throughout this tournament and with the Delhi top order, Sanju Samson apart, not firing as a collective unit at the minute there is a chance for the South African to either go up the order or tuck into a buffet at the end of the innings and sneak into the top score. At 17/1 this is a carrot I need to nibble at.
Tips
WON – Back Under 12.5 sixes for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with Skybet
Back it here:
Back C.Morris Top Delhi Daredevils Batsman for a 1/10 stake at 18.00 with Paddy Power
Back him here:
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