Things are getting pretty serious for the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League now but on Tuesday they have the opportunity to ease the tension around them when they take on the Rising Pune Supergiants in Visakhapatnam.
The Supergiants have been out of the qualification picture for a while but Delhi are right in there although they are doing their best to blow their early season work. A win here would solidify their playoff claims.
Rising Pune Supergiants
We all know how disappointing the season has been for the Supergiants but rather than fight and prove a point they seem to have gone into a hole. They were slightly unlucky in that the rain gave them no chance in their last match but they were well behind when the rain came anyway.
If there has been a positive for Pune recently it has been the form of George Bailey and he will be looking to finish the season well and try and secure a permanent deal for someone next season.
Delhi Daredevils
The Daredevils have picked totally the wrong time to lose their form but if there is a consolation in that then it comes in the fact that they are still in control of their own destiny this season. If they win two of their last three matches they will be safely in the playoffs. Anything less and a good season will be wasted.
Delhi need to sort the balance of their side out, particularly their bowling attack where constant chopping and changing seems to have had a negative impact on their performance and that is a big concern.
Team news
It is impossible to tell what sort of team MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming want to field. They are basically playing for next season already so whether they decide to blood some young talent remains to be seen. The four overseas players look set in stone to be Khawaja, Bailey, Perera and Zampa.
Delhi might decide the time is right to go back to Carlos Brathwaite after Imran Tahir was taken to the cleaners on this ground at the weekend. With their batting just starting to falter there could also be a spot for Pawan Negi in the middle order.
Form
Rising Pune Supergiants: WLLLLWLLWLLL
Delhi Daredevils: LWWWLWWLLWL
Head to head: Rising Pune Supergiants 1-0 Delhi Daredevils
In Visakhapatnam: First meeting
Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium
This is the second time in three days that Delhi will have played on this ground having faced Mumbai Indians here at the weekend. Their bowling attack was destroyed in that match and they will be hoping it isn’t here.
This will be the fifth game here in all and with each match that is played the boundaries are becoming more accessible and the scores are generally creeping a little higher so it might be that the wicket is adjusting which it may have needed time to do with matches being scheduled here at the last minute.
Betting
This is one of those end of season matches where the odds are automatically skewed because one side needs to win and the other one has nothing to play for and as such Delhi are odds on to win here but whether I want to take odds on about a side who have lost three of their last four matches I’m not sure.
Not only would we be taking odds on about a side in the middle of a slump but we would be taking it on a side who have already lost to these opponents when they were in the middle of a much better spell of form than they are currently in and I find it hard to bring myself to part with my hard earned in that scenario.
With that in mind I’ll go to the side markets for this one and judging by the fact that the last two matches on this ground have seen the Mumbai Indians hit eight sixes in a score of 124/9 and Delhi hit five in being bowled out for 126 I think we have to think that there is a good chance of sixes here.
When Rising Pune Supergiants last played here Sunrisers Hyderabad failed to put up 140 but they hit seven sixes so this Pune attack can go the distance here and we’ve recently just seen the Daredevils one travel miles on this ground so all things being equal I like sixes here.
10.5 is the line for this one but given all the statistics and performances so far on this ground you would have to think that is one or two on the low side. I’ll take the overs.
Tips
VOID – Back Over 10.5 sixes for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Paddy Power
Back them here:
