Indian Premier League - IPL / Andrew Hughes / 27 March 2010 /

The IPL points table is bunching up and Monday's match features two middle-ranking teams who recently arrested their respective slumps with vital wins. So who will come out on top in Delhi? Andrew Hughes previews the game.

Venue and Conditions

The Feroz Shah Kotla achieved notoriety last December when a one-day game between India and Sri Lanka was called off after twenty-three overs due to an unsafe pitch. But fast bowlers who were anticipating having some fun in Delhi have been disappointed in the tournament so far. In the first game, Mumbai piled up 218 and in the second, Chennai easily overhauled the home side's total of 185. The pitch is flat and true and offers very little for bowlers of any description.

Team News

Delhi will be desperately hoping that their two injured players will be fit for this game. Without Asish Nehra, the bowling looks threadbare and captain Gautam Gambhir's steadying influence at the top of the order is sorely missed. Their other decision is whether to recall Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was dropped for the last two games.

Kolkata have options but may decide to stick with a winning team. David Hussey has gone straight into the team at the expense of Owais Shah and is sure to be given a decent run. Charl Langeveldt and Ajantha Mendis don't look like getting a game any time soon but they consider drafting in spinner Murali Karthik.

Match Odds

Both these teams secured vital wins last time out, but of the two victories, Delhi's was the more impressive, overcoming an in-form Bangalore side with a solid all-round batting display. Injuries to Gambhir and Nehra, combined with the loss of form of A B De Villiers and Dilshan have seriously weakened them and their familiar lack of lower order hitting has compounded the problem. It was encouraging then that De Villiers hit 45 against Bangalore and Kedar Jadhav contributed a promising half-century down the order. They are not yet back to their best, but they may be over the worst, although they will be desperate to get Gambhir fit as soon as possible.

Kolkata's nosedive was caused by a lack of dynamism with the bat and captain Sourav Ganguly and Owais Shah were most often cited as the guilty parties. However, Shah has lost his place and Ganguly silenced critics with a steady fifty as they overcame Punjab on Saturday, with Manoj Tiwary providing the impetus. Chris Gayle is yet to really fire at the top of the order, but is slowly coming to hand and the addition of David Hussey to the ranks will boost their firepower even further. Their bowling, led by Shane Bond, is not the greatest in the tournament but it is a match for Delhi's and I think there is room for optimism for Kolkata supporters. At odds of [2.58] it makes sense to side with the visitors.

Top Batsman

Delhi's batting line up is not entirely settled and there is a possibility that Dilshan may return for this match so you may want to wait until the teams are announced before getting involved. Alternatively, you could do worse than go with De Villiers. Delhi's troubles have led to him being promoted up the order to number three and from that position, an in-form De Villiers is a good bet to finish top scorer at odds of [4.0] or better.

For Kolkata, the safety first approach is to go with Ganguly, who may not score quickly, but rarely gives his wicket away and should be available at [4.0] or higher. Tiwary is a bit hit and miss and Hussey will be coming in too low down the order to have a good chance of finishing as top scorer. On an even paced pitch, it makes sense to side with Gayle who is one of the most destructive Twenty20 batsmen around and is bound to score big at some point in this tournament. Back him at [3.5] or higher.

Featured Market

This is a batsman's wicket and with so many fast scorers on show, it makes sense to back 'Yes' in the 'Fifty Scored?' market at [1.8] or higher.

Trivia

This fixture was rained off in 2008 which meant that Kolkata's hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the first IPL were dashed. The overall record between these teams stands at 2-1 to Delhi.

Andrew Hughes says: Back Kolkata to beat Delhi at [2.58]

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