As ever there is one match in the Indian Premier League on Thursday as the Delhi Daredevils host the Rising Pune Supergiants in a big match for both sides but for different reasons.
Delhi have got themselves right in the playoff picture with a strong run of form in recent weeks while the Supergiants are getting cut adrift so they really need a win to get back in touch with the group above them.
Delhi Daredevils
For me, along with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi are the best balanced side in the tournament. They are in a really rich run of form at the minute and all of their players have contributed to their success which is an ideal scenario for Rahul Dravid, Zaheer Khan and the entire Delhi hierarchy.
The form of Quinton de Kock has been a high point of their season but now Zaheer Khan has got himself warmed up and is bowling beautifully and it is going to take a decent side to stop this Delhi side in their tracks.
Rising Pune Supergiants
There must be some kind of curse hanging around in Pune because the Supergiants have had a horrendous run of them which has resulted in Kevin Pietersen, Faf du Plessis and Steve Smith all going home prematurely.
Usman Khawaja and George Bailey have arrived as reinforcements and they will be important but if the Pune side are to turn their season around then they are going to have to bowl a lot better than they have done in this tournament in recent times.
Team news
Delhi have been searching for an opening partner for de Kock for a while and the signs are they have found it in the form of Rishabh Pant. His knock in the last game was brilliant and it allows Delhi to play both Sam Billings and JP Duminy in their middle order. Expect them to be unchanged.
Pune have got Usman Khawaja and George Bailey available for this match and both will go straight into the side barring any strange developments. The bowling combination will be interesting with Delhi seeming to help the slower bowlers. You’d think Thisara Perera will definitely play.
Form
Delhi Daredevils: LWWWLWW
Rising Pune Supergiants: WLLLLWLL
Head to head: First meeting
Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium
There have been four matches in the tournament on this ground and Delhi have turned it into a bit of a fortress having won three of those games and only lost the other by a single run. Apart from the first match they have generally been quite high scoring which counters the claim the wicket is a raging turner.
You get full value for your shots on this ground and the boundaries are small and that often means the totals are a little higher here than they might be elsewhere. I’m expecting another high scoring game here as long as the arrivals to the Pune batting hit the ground running.
Betting
There has been a real gamble going down on Pune for this match but I don’t see them winning here. I get why people are piling into them as they have Khawaja and Bailey to reinforce the batting but they’ll have to go some to outperform Smith and du Plessis.
Even if they do that it is the bowling that has been the problem for the Pune side this season and neither Khawaja nor Bailey are going to help with that and that has to be a concern for anyone ploughing into Pune.
Delhi are beautifully balanced at the minute and their crucial players, the likes of de Kock, Duminy, Morris, Mishra and Zaheer are all performing which means the lesser known players can play with freedom and express themselves. It is a great wheel to watch right now.
Delhi could easily be four from four here but a one run defeat to Gujarat when they were going well is no bad thing. Pune are nothing like the Lions were so my money is firmly behind the Delhi Daredevils here at what is now a fantastic price.
Tips
Back Delhi Daredevils to beat Rising Pune Supergiants for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with William Hill
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