Match Preview of Kings XI Punjab & Delhi Daredevils'

Preview by Saurabh Somani

Ground Reality and Pitch:
The ground will be the same as the one used for the first two matches of the IPL that took place yesterday. As picturesque as ever, it might not look too inviting for the batsmen now!

The pitch was very different from the slam bang variety one gets in the subcontinent. Runs were earned, not available for free. However, with proper application the batting team can hope to put up a decent score. The form book for the ground was turned on its head when the Mumbai Indians and the Bangalore Royal Challengers won after batting first, which indicated that it's how you bat that counts, not which innings you bat in.

Team News:
Delhi Daredevils: Last year's semifinalists look like a good bet this year too. Their only real weakness is an iffy middle order, but with the inclusion of Collingwood, Owais Shah and David Warner - one or two of whom will surely play - that looks to be taken care of. With a top order of Sehwag, Gambhir and A B de Villiers, and the miserly McGrath to open the bowling, they have a solid look overall. It helps that they have decent Indian players in both bowling and batting departments.

King's XI Punjab: They were losing semi-finalists too last year, but the contrast with Delhi couldn't be greater. Their bowling cupboard looks bare - no Lee, no Sreesanth, no Hopes and no Jerome Taylor. Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla have by default become their main bowlers. Their batting is overly dependent on the blow-hot, blow-cold Yuvraj and Sangakarra. Another blow they have faced is the unavailability of Shaun Marsh. It will need a stand-out performance from one of their players to put it across Delhi.

Players to Watch:
Yuvraj Singh: If ever Yuvraj needed a stage to show the world that he does not repeatedly crack under pressure, that he has the mental fortitude to take his career to the next level - this is it. That he has it in him to turn a match on its head single-handedly has never been in doubt. That he implodes as often as he explodes has also never been in doubt.

Virender Sehwag: The man who plays Test cricket in T20 mode, the man with the highest strike rate in last year's IPL (among batsmen who had at least 200 runs), and the man responsible for most bowlers' sleepless nights. If Viru can reign in the madness that sometimes makes him think every ball should be hit into a neighbouring country, he can have a sumptuous feast off the Punjab attack.
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