IPL: Delhi Daredevils Season Review
Delhi Daredevils IPL season began with a bang but ended in with a whimper.
After a poor 2011 season, Delhi Daredevils gave a brilliant performance through the 2012 season, only to falter at the crucial juncture. Delhi reached the knockout round of the tournament without much fuss but messed up their two qualifying matches to be left trophy-less.
Delhi Daredevils who after a semi-final finish in the first two seasons and who only missed out in the third season knockout qualification by a whisker, 2011 was a catastrophe as they finished last. It was important that they make amends.
Delhi Daredevils not just won their league games but terrorized the opposition with their brutal batting. It was Pietersen and Sehwag first and then Sehwag and Warner who led the assault on the opposition bowlers. Warner’s knock of 109 from only 54 balls against Deccan Chargers coming only a few days after he got off the plane from Dominica, was symbolic of aggression of top quality. Jayawardene in the middle order provided solidity while Ross Taylor played good cameo innings. It was the $700000 buy, Venugopal Rao who was most disappointing Delhi batsmen as his numbers of 122 runs at a strike rate of only 104 in 10 matches suggest.
On the bowling front Delhi Daredevils were adequately beefed up before the season and it showed. Morne Morkel was the standout performer as he bowled with pace and incision, his awkward bounce causing the opposition batsmen much discomfort. He ended top of the bowling charts taking 25 wickets. His bowling alibi Umesh Yadav wasn’t to be left to far behind as he took 19 wickets and his pairing with Morne proved to be useful for Delhi. Shahbaz Nadeem, the uncapped left-arm spinner, was the surprise performer.
Delhi though missed a trick or two in the knockout games, as they blundered first by electing to field in both the games they won the toss in. Then on a turning pitch at Pune against Kolkata they chose to play three fast bowlers and against Chennai they chose to drop the purple cap holder Morne. In the end, at these critical moments, Delhi tactically lost the chance to win the IPL.
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