The first couple of
matches are always about getting the ball rolling in a long tournament where
the teams go through cycles of form and they are important in helping team
management take an uncomplicated view. Rajasthan Royals open their season with
a clean slate when they take on a depleted home side, Delhi Daredevils, who had
an insipid outing in Kolkata in the first match of the tournament.
Royals are without one
man who is likely to be a constant in their equation this season - Shane
Watson, who is not available for this match - and that opens up a vital spot
for them to test one of their imports. In-form Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Perera
is almost certain in the XI but the choice of other three could depend on the
surface laid out in Delhi. The other interesting bit for Royals would be how
their captain-cum-coach Rahul Dravid copes with his first taste of competitive
cricket in almost a year. The longer he takes to find his groove, the more
muddled the strategies would get.
Daredevils are still
handicapped by the absence of two of their impact players - Virender Sehwag,
who is out with back spasms, and Morne Morkel, who is playing domestic Twenty20
in South Africa. But this time, they are playing at home, against a
not-so-daunting opponent they have beaten every time at home and the team would
hope to put up a better batting performance to get a move on.
Players to watch
Kusal Perera is a rising star in Sri Lankan cricket and
Royals have been lucky to fetch his services for just £20,000. A good season
here and that price, in all likelihood, is expected to multiply a few times
over. Perera is a powerful player who loves to play lofted shots on either side
of the wicket. He has often been compared to Sanath Jayasuriya, who, 17 years
ago, ended the career of another Delhi bowler on this ground.
David Warner had a quiet start to the tournament by his
standards, but in the absence of Sehwag, his form is crucial for Daredevils to
do well as the middle order appeared a bit undercooked in the last game. Warner
has scored a century and two fifties on his home ground.
Stats and trivia
·
Daredevils have beaten
Royals six times in the ten matches they have played against each other. They
have lost just once in the last six matches
·
In Brad Hodge and
Owais Shah, Royals have two of the top five run-scorers in Twenty20s
·
Rahul Dravid has
scored 1703 IPL runs, which is the most among players from both sides
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