Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals square up at Kotla

NEW DELHI: Momentum is a big word when it comes to Twenty20 cricket. A team on a roll often pulls rabbits out a hat from impossible situations. And momentum is one thing both Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals are desperate to achieve in IPL 7 as they face off at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Saturday.
The Royals are better placed on the points table - but only just, with six points so far - after their win in the tied match against Knight Riders.The inaugural IPL champs will agree they are far from being on top of their game. Delhi, the home team here, are in the bottom-half of the table and face problems aplenty.
The bowling attack that the GMR-group team procured after the IPL 7 auction was not suited to the conditions in UAE and definitely not cut out for the Kotla.
"The crucial phase of the tournament begins now that IPL is back in familiar conditions in India. If we can get some momentum going we can turn things around very quickly. The position on the points table can change rapidly if you get a few wins on the trot. We'll try to win as many games as possible at home," vice-captain Dinesh Karthik said after the training session at the Palam ground on Friday.
The Daredevils, who finished at the bottom last year, have been chopping and changing their bowling combinations with paceman Mohammad Shami and left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem being the only constants so far. The only other spinner in their roster is leg-spinner Rahul Sharma, who was clobbered for 33 runs in three overs in the only match he played in.
No wonder the Daredevils are desperate to expedite Imran Tahir's arrival to replace the injured Nathan Coulter-Nile. "Now that Coulter-Nile is out of the IPL we are keen to get a replacement as soon as possible. I think the team management have already figured out the replacement and we'll be looking to get him into the team as soon as possible," Karthik said, stopping short of naming Tahir as the replacement.
One man desperate to return to Kotla will be skipper Kevin Pietersen. The former England captain enjoyed a rollicking time with the team in 2012, scoring 305 including a majestic 64-ball 103 at Kotla. The Royals led by Shane Watson are not daunted by the prospect of playing at Kotla.
Rajasthan managed to squeeze past the Daredevils by five runs last year which kicked off Delhi's disappointing run.
The slow nature of the Kotla wicket may play into the hands of Royals' medium-pacers like Rajat Bhatia and Stuart Binny, while James Faulkner is very efficient with his change of pace as well.
For all practical purposes, it'll be a battle between Daredevils' explosive batting featuring Pietersen, the in-form JP Duminy, Quinton de Kock and Murali Vijay against the bowling of the Royals. The history of Kotla will give the edge to Royals & Co.