Delhi Daredevils

[King]

I still don't think bowling wins most of the games in Twenty20, it is the batting. A good batting side with some decent bowling attack will do. Bangalore has some good bowlers and all rounders but we all know where they stand. ODIs and Twenty20s are batsmen's games. Test matches on the other hand are won by bowlers. Luckily for Delhi Gambhir and Sehwag at the top are in excellent form. When both start to fail regularly Delhi will struggle too.

[swami1984]

I still don't think bowling wins most of the games in Twenty20' date=' it is the batting. A good batting side with some decent bowling attack will do. Bangalore has some good bowlers and all rounders but we all know where they stand. ODIs and Twenty20s are batsmen's games. Test matches on the other hand are won by bowlers. Luckily for Delhi Gambhir and Sehwag at the top are in excellent form. When both start to fail regularly Delhi will struggle too.[/quote'] I believe bowling wins you games in any format - you're assuming that the Delhi middle order wont come into form (when top order loses form) :-D

[Guest HariSampath]

Its true that it takes 20 overs of sustained batting and 5-6 overs of brilliant batting to win or be in a position to win and it just takes 2 overs of brilliant bowling, sometimes one over with 2 wkst too settles the game if all else is normal. Having said that , this kind of bowling wins happen rarely like in the Kolkatta dust bowl type or the Jaipur type of pitch where Tanveer ran thru Chennai. Its almost always the batting that largely determines wins, and especially if good strong momentum till 12 overs and then 3-4 big overs before 20th is done, its probably the game.

[Cricketics]

chandan, to be frank, i still think our middle order ain't that bad. we have ABd Devillers and shoaib malik. both are decent enough batsmans for this format. it's just matter of clicking at the right time. which hasn't happend yet.

[flamy]

The article writer is writing for writing's sake if he thinks Sehwag is 'just' a part-timer and cant hold his own in T-20...

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Daredevils looking for survival With a semifinal spot on the verge of slipping away, the Delhi team needs to fight like never before in the tournament. Anand Vasu tells more. More... Looking for survival Anand Vasu, Hindustan Times New Delhi, May 14, 2008 First Published: 22:58 IST(14/5/2008) Last Updated: 02:08 IST(15/5/2008) As they slip and slide away, Delhi will be wary that Hyderabad have nothing to lose Looking for survival "We are fighters, we never give up," is the chorus of the Delhi IPL team's theme song. It was quite comprehensively and embarrassingly drowned out by Kolkata's Korbo, lorbo, jeetbo re on a sweaty Tuesday night at the Eden Gardens when Shoaib Akhtar led a rout that should never have been once Delhi kept Kolkata down to 133. Now, with a semifinal spot on the verge of slipping away, the Delhi team needs to fight like never before in the tournament. Ironically they are also at their most vulnerable when they come up against an opponent that has been a soft target for all teams save the one from Bangalore. The Hyderabad team, despite boasting a line-up of batsmen that would make it to most fans's fantasy Twenty20 hitters has failed to come off. If Delhi's semifinal chances are fading, Hyderabad's have all but gone up in smoke. This means that they're playing largely for pride and this makes them doubly dangerous. Adam Gilchrist has already shown what he can do, while Shahid Afridi, who you would think was born to destroy in this format, has consistently failed and is due a big score. With Delhi anxious to collect two points that will keep them in the hunt, Hyderabad could just pull off a shock defeat for they have nothing to lose. Delhi have been constantly dogged by close finishes that ended badly and have struggled to get the right combination on the park. Glenn McGrath has been as constant in the attack as he has been effective. Mohammad Asif missed out in the last two matches because Farveez Maharoof offers so much more with the bat and with Tillakaratne Dilshan and AB de Villiers not doing too much in the middle-order, Delhi needed this insurance. But, just as the Shoaib Malik experiment did not come off, it might be time for Delhi to shelve their tinkering and return to more tried-and-tested if less spectacular players. For one, in the low chase they missed the cool head of a Rajat Bhatia. How they continue to keep him out of the mix is baffling, but then again when results don't go your way the captain is the first one made to look a bit foolish. But a return for Asif - with Dilshan missing out - and likewise for Bhatia, for whom place must be made, can give the team a much more settled look. Desperate times often call for desperate measures but in Delhi's case they might be best served by keeping things simple. After all, this is what brought them success, overwhelming wins in the start of the tournament, and made them one of the front-runners for a semifinal spot.

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Sehwag crucial to Daredevil's hopes Team needs to recoup after a string of losses More... Sehwag crucial to Daredevils’ hopes Vijay Lokapally Team needs to recoup after a string of losses PLENTY AT STAKE: An inspirational performance from captain Virender Sehwag will be handy for Delhi Daredevils as it seeks to regain lost momentum in the DLF Indian Premier League. New Delhi: On a perfect batting pitch, the Delhi Daredevils came up with its most timid performance at the Eden Gardens to lose its game against Kolkata Knight Riders. The best opening pair in the country was swept off by a man returning from injury and disciplinary restrictions to make an impact as only he can. The sight of Shoaib Akhtar thundering down and working up pace even in a Twenty20 was simply exhilarating. It was the same stage where he had, nearly a decade ago, sent Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid’s stumps cartwheeling in a Test match. Memories of that glorious afternoon must have pumped up Akhtar, a fantastic athlete who loves to express his emotions openly in the same fashion as his team owner in this Indian Premier League. Fascinating sight A charged up Akhtar can be the most fascinating sight on a cricket field. The game, in different eras, has always been lit up with characters like Akhtar, who bring a touch of glamour to the art of bowling. It is a distinction that is unique and significant in a sport that has been so dominated by batsmen. Twenty20 is all about fours and sixes. That is precisely what the spectators want. However, when someone sends the stumps flying, generating speed in the realm of 150, and reducing inform strikers like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir to static figures, it is an awesome sight to watch. Aggressive streak Like with Shoaib Akhtar, Sehwag’s cricket is defined by an aggressive streak — his batting is dominating and expressive, at times bordering on the arrogance. But the Daredevils skipper needs to put his mind now to the team’s immediate challenge of whipping up its abilities on the field. Sehwag and Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan and A.B. de Villiers, Glenn McGrath and V. Yomahesh, all would be expected to deliver now. The two Pakistan recruits, Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Malik, have proved failures. Manoj Tiwari has looked out of place. Delhi lacks depth. The same applies to Deccan Chargers, which has lost the services of stylish skipper V.V.S. Laxman, so ironically to a wrist injury. Such a strong team on paper, Deccan Chargers has failed to come to terms with the nuances of the shortest version of the game, despite players like Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi and Herschelle Gibbs in its ranks. Only pride is at stake for Deccan Chargers, which has just two wins in nine matches, while Delhi, eight points from nine matches, has some hopes of reaching the semifinals. For that to become a reality, Delhi will need a remarkably refreshing approach and Sehwag, a wonderful performer like Akhtar, would have to carry the team on his shoulders. Champions are known to excel on the big stage and Ferozeshah Kotla on Thursday will be one. Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag (capt.), Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, A.B. de Villiers, Rajat Bhatia, Shoaib Malik, Dinesh Karthik, Glenn McGrath, Mohammad Asif, V. Yomahesh, Pradeep Sangwan, Farveez Maharoof, Mithun Manhas, Brett Geeves, Manoj Tiwari, Amit Mishra and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Deccan Chargers: Adam Gilchrist (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Scott Styris, Rohit Sharma, Shahid Afridi, Sanjay Bangar, R.P. Singh, Arjun Yadav, D. Kalyankrishna, Pragyan Ojha, Chamara Silva, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, D.B. Ravi Teja, Sarvesh Kumar, Venugopala Rao and P. Vijaykumar.

[Chandan]

What do the daredevils need to do to improve now? Openers' discretion crucial for Delhi Ravi Shastri KOLKATA HAVE stolen a march over Delhi but it's going to be a close call for the fourth semi-finalist. Kolkata have a match against each of the three top teams of the league Jaipur, Mohali and Chennai. Delhi, in contrast, only need to face Mohali among the biggies. Delhi also play four of the five remaining matches at home. Kolkata have three of the five at Eden Gardens. Still the fall from grace has been stunning for Delhi. Initially, they lacked the balance due to a frail middle order and the absence of a spinner. Now when that has been set straight, it's the top order that is wobbly. Good as Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are, and also Shikhar Dhawan, they are not structuring their innings properly. A leaf out of Shaun Marsh's book, or David Hussey, Shane Watson and even our own Rohit Sharma, can be instructive. They score at a similar clip but are far more solid. It's a case of adapting to the situation. If Sehwag departs early then Gambhir has to take stock of the fact that he is accomplished enough to score at a fair clip without trying the extraordinary. Discretion after all has always been a better part of valour. I read with interest when Sehwag quipped that they looked to bat too freely against Shoaib Akhtar and paid the price. So perhaps the fault is identified. Shane Warne said the other day they wanted to take the pace off the ball against the Sehwag-Gambhir pair. The opposition is also trying to bowl wide to the Delhi openers. Teams are planning overtime against the Delhi pair and they can't allow themselves to walk into a trap. The challenge for them is to bat for at least the first 10 overs. If they do so, Delhi would be logging 100 on the board. All those swinging arcs of bats at widish deliveries can wait. Delhi are now up against Hyderabad which perhaps has the weakest bowling attack. But it is balanced by arguably the most destructive line-up in the league. Hyderabad's problem has been that a bat or two alone fire in a match. Now that they more or less have no pressure, Hyderabad can really come out firing. Delhi though would be pleased by how T Dilshan, Fervez Maharoof and Amit Mishra have shaped up in the last two games. The plan clearly has been to identify bowlers who are also handy with the ball. With due respect to the Pakistani duo of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Asif, they are onedimensional cricketers. I say Malik as well because the confidence in his bowling seems to have disappeared. It is also judicious to rest Dinesh Karthik if AB de Villiers can keep the stumps. The problem is for the openers to use patience as a vital tool. Manoj Tiwari must play all the games, because I believe he would be the one to make a difference if Delhi have to qualify for the final. I look forward to Glenn McGrath bowling to Adam Gilchrist as the two champions square up to each other. Both are not used to losing and are most dangerous when cornered. Hyderabad can upset Delhi's applecart as the IPL gets to another bend of this roller coaster of a tournament. ------------------------------------------------ I agree. Delhi batsmen recently have kept on batting according to their plan which they made prior to the match and stick to it without refreshing it and taking a fresh account of the situation they have at hand. The way Gambhir got out on Akhtar after Sehwag was dismissed cheaply was outragious and very very irresponsible. And I wonder why they've not let Manoj Tiwari settle from game one because he could have been an asset to them by now.

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Daredevils : United they stand More... United, they stand Anand Vasu, Hindustan Times Bangalore, May 19, 2008 First Published: 00:56 IST(19/5/2008) Last Updated: 02:14 IST(19/5/2008) The way this Delhi team’s luck has progressed, from indifferent to plain terrible, one wouldn’t be terribly surprised if the last away-game results in a major upset. Two weeks ago, Delhi were coasting into the semifinals, a week ago they were still in with a solid chance, now they have three must-win games ahead beginning with Bangalore. If Delhi’s luck has taken a turn for the worse, Bangalore just haven’t caught a break all through. While Rahul Dravid will point to two half-tons, the latest unbeaten 36-ball 75 against Jaipur, his team has been a classic example of showing just what all can go wrong in sport despite the best intentions. The Bangalore team owners sacked the CEO midway through the tournament – but what exactly was he to do if the team were getting beaten out in the middle – and completely eroded the captain’s confidence. The statements Vijay Mallya made in the press are baffling, given that successful businessmen usually find more constructive ways of solving problems than apportioning blame. The situation in the Delhi camp is in stark contrast. While the team’s fortunes may have dipped, the owners, most visibly represented by CEO Yogesh Shetty, have not made one adverse comment about their own “staff”, the players. Behind closed doors they might be barracking the support staff and the players, but in public they’ve stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the team even as tight games went against them. The difficulty for Virender Sehwag is that his team is not doing badly. They’re actually playing some good cricket, and yet losing. Different things have cost them on different occasions – a vital dropped catch, a borderline umpiring call that went the wrong way, an over that was pasted at the wrong time – so it’s hard to put a finger on just what they should do. What they are required to do is pretty clear with one look at the points table – win each of their remaining three games, against Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai. Delhi are now firmly in fifth place, and one can only safely rule out Bangalore and Hyderabad. For other teams in line for a semifinal spot, relying on others’ results is just not an option anymore. The big question is, if and when their luck turns, will it be too little too late for a team that has all the ingredients of being genuine contenders for the inaugural title? Teams (from): Bangalore: Rahul Dravid (captain), Abdur Razzak, Balachandra Akhil, KP Appanna, Jagadeesh Arunkumar, Praveen Kumar, Devraj Patil, Vinay Kumar, Mark Boucher (wk), Nathan Bracken, Bharat Chipli, Shreevats Goswami (wk), Anil Kumble, Dale Steyn, Cameron White, Wasim Jaffer, Sunil Joshi, Jacques Kallis, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Misbah-ul-Haq Coach: Venkatesh Prasad Delhi: Virender Sehwag (captain), Rajat Bhatia, AB de Villiers, Shikhar Dhawan, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Pradeep Sangwan, Daniel Vettori, Gautam Gambhir, Brett Geeves, Dinesh Karthik, Glenn McGrath, Farveez Maharoof, Shoaib Malik, Tejaswi Yadav, Yo Mahesh, Mithun Manhas, Amit Mishra, Mohammad Asif, Manoj Tiwary, Mayank Tehlan Coach: Greg Shipperd

[msb1991]

Daredevils are just one pace bowler and one middle order batsman away from greatness. I believe that the Daredevils should target the underperforming Ishant Sharma from the KKR. KKR have an excess of bowlers and the fast bowling coaching unit of the Daredevils would be brilliant to nurture the young fast bowler. Speaking of the fast bowling unit, Sekhar (second in command and fast bowling coach) has outlined Gony and Dinda - we should look to get both too as they are extremely useful. If we can nurture an Indian pace attack, then we will have plenty of room for overseas batsmen, to give Shoaib Malik and AB De Villiars set places in the side.

[swami1984]

Daredevils are just one pace bowler and one middle order batsman away from greatness. I believe that the Daredevils should target the underperforming Ishant Sharma from the KKR. KKR have an excess of bowlers and the fast bowling coaching unit of the Daredevils would be brilliant to nurture the young fast bowler. Speaking of the fast bowling unit' date=' Sekhar (second in command and fast bowling coach) has outlined Gony and Dinda - we should look to get both too as they are extremely useful. If we can nurture an Indian pace attack, then we will have plenty of room for overseas batsmen, to give Shoaib Malik and AB De Villiars set places in the side.[/quote'] you guys should convince Vettori to give up NZ captaincy and become fulltime allrounder in IPL. He is a crafty bowler. You can trade him to Bangalore and get Steyn (solves your pace bowling problems) or trade for Misbah :D

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Delhi now play the waiting game “One thing is for sure, unlike the Jaipur team we will not be going to Goa for a break,” says Sehwag when asked how his team plans to spend the next few days, reports Anand Vasu. More... Delhi now play the waiting game Anand Vasu, Hindustan Times New Delhi, May 26, 2008 First Published: 02:37 IST(26/5/2008) Last Updated: 02:42 IST(26/5/2008) “One thing is for sure, unlike the Jaipur team we will not be going to Goa for a break,” said Virender Sehwag when asked how his team planned to spend the next few days given that their playing time in the league phase of the IPL had come to an end. Delhi have 15 points from their full set of 14 matches, including seven wins and one game abandoned thanks to rain. All Delhi can do now is wait and see if either Mumbai, who have two matches left, or Chennai, who have one game in hand, can play themselves out of a semifinal spot. Sehwag, who admitted that all his team could do now was “pray” that things went their way after it seemed like luck had finally turned for his team they had lost more than one tight game and struggled with rain and Duckworth-Lewis was not beyond looking for some help from above. “We have done our job. We had to win this match and we did that. The rest is not in our hands. We can only pray that other results go our way and we reach the last four. Thank God the middle-order clicked at the right time.” Dinesh Karthik was named ‘Man of the Match’ for his battling half-century that took Delhi home from a precarious position after the top-order had collapsed. He shared in crucial partnerships of 41 and 49 with Manoj Tiwary and Parveez Maharoof respectively. "It was one of my lucky days, whatever shots I played came off. I know that whenever God gives, he gives in plenty. He's been kind to me and I hope this is just the beginning of good times for me,” said Karthik. “It was a total team effort. My partnership with Tiwary and Maharoof came good. We were on the hunt and we just wanted a few boundaries.” But while Karthik did bulk of the scoring, Maharoof's unbeaten 20 was a vital contribution and his role in the win did not go unnoticed. “He is a class player and he has played in these situations,” said Sehwag. “I always want to send him in these crunch moments because he plays regularly for Sri Lanka in international cricket and has the experience. We all know he can hit a few big shots.” When asked which teams Sehwag will be watching closely over the next few days, the Delhi captain refused to be drawn into any serious speculation. Instead he reverted to characteristic humour, dismissing the question saying, “Whichever team can get us into the semifinals, that’s the team I’ll be watching.” After many days of nervous anticipation the Delhi team has got some relief. Now all it can do is wait.

[Rajiv]

“Whichever team can get us into the semifinals, that’s the team I’ll be watching. classic veeru

[Guest Hiten.]

“Whichever team can get us into the semifinals' date= that’s the team I’ll be watching. classic veeru

:hysterical::hysterical:

[rahuliverpool]

The Official Delhi Daredevils Supporters Thread !!! Was very very surprised when I could not see the DD Supporters thread anywhere. CMON PEOPLE DELHI DAREDEVILS - LAST TIME'S SEMI FINALISTS AND THIS TIME'S CHAMPIONS Coach: Greg Shipperd Captain: Virender Sehwag Colours: Blue and Red Founded: 2008 Home Ground: Feroz Shah Kotla Capacity: 40,000 Owner: GMR Holdings Official Website: www.delhidaredevils.com This Season's Daredevils Virender Sehwag Aavishkar Salvi AB de Villiers Amit Mishra Andrew McDonald Ashish Nehra Daniel Vettori David Warner Dinesh Karthik Dirk Nannes Farveez Maharoof Gautam Gambhir Glenn McGrath Manoj Tiwary Mithun Manhas Owais Shah Paul Collingwood Pradeep Sangwan Rajat Bhatia Tejashwi Yadav Tillakaratne Dilshan Umesh Yadav Yo Mahesh Yogesh Nagar KHELO FRONT FOOT PE !!!

[Shane]

All fancy the '!!!' :hysterical:

[Holysmoke]

first liverpool and now these nuts:hysterical: What a sad life that must be!

[Holysmoke]

KHELO FRONT FOOT PE !!!

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[Shane]

^^ :cantstop:

[rahuliverpool]

first liverpool and now these nuts:hysterical: What a sad life that must be!

haha holysmoke, don't worry though, I will extend my support to MI too, after all pooja karni bhi toh zaroori hai !!!