General / Andy Richmond / 17 April 2009 /

With Virender Sehwag leading the team, exciting Aussie talent David Warner opening the batting and one of the most in-form batsmen in world cricket in AB De Villiers taking care of the middle-order, the Delhi Daredevils are the team to beat, says Andy Richmond.

DELHI

Delhi are the team to beat. They had a mixed first season, playing like millionaires one day before inexplicably losing the plot the next to finish with seven wins and six losses going into the semi-finals. They were too top-heavy, with a middle-order that didn't deliver when it mattered. This edition, apart from the in-form Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, they have the explosive David Warner and AB de Villiers, in form of his life, for most of the season. Throw in Sri Lanka's new Twenty20 captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, Manoj Tiwary, Owais Shah, Dinesh Karthik and Paul Collingwood and you have a fabulous batting line-up.

Glenn McGrath is 40 and out of active cricket, concentrating on the cancer foundation after his wife's death last year. Age, lack of practice and personal tragedy are enough to derail a very good sportsman but McGrath is an all-time great and only a brave man would bet against his delivering yet again. He leads an attack that will miss Mohammad Asif but he is likely to find solid support from Dirk Nannes, the fast left-arm swinger from Australia known for his Twenty20 prowess. Then there is Daniel Vettori, currently the world's best Twenty20 spinner, and solid mediumpacers Farveez Maharoof and Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh. It's a very balanced side - but McGrath's form could make or break their season.

The buzz

The relative absence of PR hype is unusual, given the team's potential. It's only at the eleventh hour, following the Indian team's return from New Zealand, that Sehwag and Gambhir - arguably the hottest opening pair in current world cricket - have been trotted out for the media's consumption.

New faces

Delhi used the auction smartly - they did their homework and reaped the benefits. Warner was signed up even before his Twenty20 Australian debut. They signed up the late bloomer Nannes, who'd made his first-class debut at 29; from the unfancied Vidarbha came Umesh Yadav, a fast bowler with a sharp bouncer. And they traded out the talented batsman Shikhar Dhawan for an additional bowler in Ashish Nehra. Warner, though is the star pick, the face most eagerly watched by the fans. He might even open with Sehwag, with Gambhir at No. 3. He hit a 43-ball 83 against South Africa on his Twenty20 debut and has a strike rate of 148.17 in this format.

Watch out for

AB de Villiers is on a dream run in his international career. He made a brave announcement at the start of the season that he doesn't want to keep to help him become the No 1 batsman in the world. And he has walked the talk. Expect a flow of runs from him.

Missing in action

That's the beauty of it - all their top players are available through the season.

X Factor

Umesh Yadav. He has the pace and he can develop his skills under the guidance of fast bowling experts like Dennis Lillee and TA Sekhar, the men involved with Delhi. Those who watched the Duleep Trophy last season remember how he harassed the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.

Strength

The top order: Sehwag, Gambhir, de Villiers, and Warner. Top that.

PREDICTION FOR 2009

A place in the semis - and it won't be a surprise if they lift the trophy.

The Delhi Daredevils are currently [5.5] to back.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: