Date – Apr 26, 2009

Result: Delhi won by 6 wkts

Bangalore Royal Challengers
Bangalore Royal Challengers won the toss and elected to bat first. But the decision proved to be disastrous as they lost two wickets for just 10 runs on board. Then Pietersen and Taylor took the score to 72 in almost 9 overs. When things looked in control, Vettori struck and got Pietersen wicket. Soon Taylor was also sent back to pavilion and the score was 78/4 in 11 overs. Kohli and Boucher then steadied the innings and took the score past 100. Royal Challengers then saw a quick fall of wickets to get a total score of 149 in alloted 20 overs.

Delhi Daredevils Innings
The fireworks from Tillekeratne Dilshan (67 runs in 47 balls, 5×4, 2×6) helped Delhi Daredevils beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets in the Indian Premier League match in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.After loosing initial wicket of Sehwag, Delhi Daredevils got back on track and won the match. After this win, they now share the number 1 spot with Deccan Chargers

Fall of wickets
Bangalore Royal Challengers
1-0 (Kallis, 0.1 ov), 2-10 (Uthappa, 1.2 ov), 3-72 (Pietersen, 9.3 ov), 4-78 (Taylor, 10.6 ov), 5-139 (Boucher, 18.6 ov), 6-139 (Kohli, 19.1 ov), 7-145 (Vinay Kumar, 19.3 ov)

Delhi Daredevils
V Sehwag (11-1, 1.4), G Gambhir (42-2, 5.4), AB de Villiers (84-3, 13.1), D Karthik (106-4, 15.4)

Man of the match: T Dilshan

Date – 23 April 2009

It was Abraham de Villiers hundred in Indian Premier League which helped Delhi Daredevils score an emphatic win over Chennai Super Kings here in Durban. This match is being described as the best one so far in IPL-2 as it was a very close call for both the teams. In a high scoring game, no one could predict till very end that who will win. At last Delhi DareDevils hold on the nerves and registered the win by nine runs.

Delhi DareDevils scored 190 runs, highest in IPL and it looked almost impossible for Chennai Super Kings to even think of winning. But Mathew Hayden gave the best possible start and Chennai Super Kings surpassed the 50-run mark in less than five overs and things seemed to be going their way when Pradeep Sangwan struck in his first over. Soon after Hayden was dismissed for 57 off 27 balls (5×4, 3×6) and Chennai Super Kings were 90 for two after eight overs. After that Chennai Super Kings were were 139 for four (after 14.1 overs) after Raina’s dismissal. They needed 24 runs off the last two overs and Morkel was still in the middle so they had some hope. But three run outs changed the whole scenario and Chennai Lost a well fought match.

Man of the match: AB de Villiers

Date – 19 April 2009

Delhi DareDevils register an easy win over Kings XI Punjab in a rain affected match. Delhi DareDevils won the toss and elected to field first in a 12 over match. But decision taken by Sehwag to field first was not correct as the opening batsman of Kings XI Goel and Ravi Bopara got a good start. Goel scored 38 runs from 21 balls with three fours and three huge sixes and Bopara made 22 from 16 balls. After that Skipper Yuvraj hits two huge sixes and score 16 runs before he was run out. From Delhi DareDevils Daniel Vettori was successful bowler as he took three wickets for 15 runs in three overs. Kings XI put a score of 104 run in 12 overs. Chasing a revised target of 54 runs in 6 overs, Sehwag and Gambhir register an easy win with seven balls left. Sehwag hit 38 runs from just 16 balls.

Man Of The Match – Daniel Vettori

Playing XI –

KXIP – Taruwar Kohli, Karan Goel, Mahela Jayawardena, Kumar Sangakkara (W), Yuvraj Singh (C), Irfan Pathan, Ravi Bopara, Vikramjeet Malik, Piyush Chawla, VRV Singh, Yusuf Abdulla

DD – Virender Sehwag (C), Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik (W), AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Manoj Tiwary, Avishkar Salvi, Daniel Vettori, Pradeep Sangwan, Yo Mahesh, Dirk Nannes

Bubbling with energy after victories in both build-up games in Pretoria, Delhi Daredevils had their first practice session.

They had their practice session at the University of Cape Grounds on Thursday ahead of the second season of the Indian Premier League.

“The boys are all eager to go and they are all looking fit,” manager T A Sekar said.

“Boys are in good shape”

“Most have played highly competitive matches for their national and state teams in the past few weeks and are so in good match shape,” said Sekar.

“The locals are excited about seeing the IPL teams and quite a few have been backing Delhi Daredevils,” he added.

Putting the team through their practice session was coach Greg Shipperd, who joined the team last week in Johannesburg.

“These guys are all pros and they are in good shape,” Shipperd said.

The Delhi side had earlier played two practice games against Titans and Lions at Pretoria and won both.

Players played a football match

The cricketers played a football match with explosive Australian David Warner being the noisiest and keeping everybody in good humour.

“The best guys in the business are here and Delhi has been a fun team,” Warner said.

Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik and Amit Mishra will join the squad later on Thursday while South African AB de Villiers is still engaged in the ODI series against Australia.

Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Daniel Vettori, Dirk Nannes, Andrew McDonald, Glenn McGrath, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Farveez Maharoof were all present at the practice sessions.

The Indians who were present at the session included Ashish Nehra, Rajat Bhatia, Mithun Manhas, Manoj Tiwary, Pradeep Sanghwan, Aavishkar Salvi, Yo Mahesh, Tejaswhi Yadav, Umesh Yadav and Yogesh Nagar.
Source – espnstar.com

It is a nightmare that rattles the bowlers these days. For fans, they conjure visions of some exciting batsmanship in all forms of the game. The most destructive opening pair in today’s cricket leads Delhi Daredevils’ challenge as a domestic competition travels overseas.

Sehwag and Gambhir have often traversed successfully when the terrain has been most treacherous and the duo has pledged a run feast in the second edition of the Indian Premier League. They have set goals that can be attained only by outshining each other at the crease.
Flattering to deceive

Much was expected in IPL-1 when Daredevils swept four of its first five matches, including three away encounters. And then it slipped. Four defeats in a row, including one at home, was a setback to a side that had come to believe it had the arsenal to win the war. The failure of Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Malik proved a severe handicap.

But Daredevils clawed back into the reckoning and qualified to meet Rajasthan Royals in the semifinals where it was blasted by Shane Watson, who made runs and took wickets too. Daredevils, a favourite to become champion, finished fourth.

An inconsistent middle order, comprising Manoj Tiwary, Dinesh Karthik, Abraham de Villiers and T. Dilshan was a worry in the first IPL, but not this time. They are in fine form now. The presence of Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood and David Warner improves the options. The flexibility factor in the batting line-up is Daredevils’ strength.
Lethal attack

With the crafty Glenn McGrath, who can still bowl the best four overs against any opposition, and the world’s finest left-arm spinner in Daniel Vettori, Daredevils can boast of a lethal attack, what with Ashish Nehra bolstering it, shifting from Mumbai Indians.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra brings a refreshing variety even as seamers Farveez Maharoof, Pradeep Sangwan, Avishkar Salvi and V. Yomahesh wait in the wings.

Coach T.A. Sekar reminds you of the presence of Umesh Yadav, a young fast bowler from Nagpur, not to forget crisis man Rajat Bhatia. Delhi veteran Mithun Manhas too “can be trusted to excel.”
Compact combination

A compact combination with some explosive talent, Daredevils, for many reasons, would be the team to beat in this edition. There are some acknowledged performers with a reputation to swing the matches with their individual brilliance but as Sehwag observed, Daredevils will rely on its “collective strength.”

Oppositions better watch out. Sehwag and Gambhir are coming!
Source – hindu.com