IPL 2014

IPL2014: 12th match – Sunrisers Hyderabad v Delhi Daredevils, April 25, 2014

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Sunrisers Hyderabad, who lie at the bottom of the league table, clash with the Delhi Daredevils in Match 12 of Pepsi IPL 2014.

SRH have problems to fix on both batting and bowling fronts. The batsmen have failed to get enough runs, managing only 133 and 121 in their two outings. In fact, against Kings XI Punjab, it was all-round failure as the bowlers too came in for plenty of stick and conceded 193 runs.

Delhi Daredevils too have problems of their own; they have only one win from three outings – that win too coming in a nervy run-chase against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The team comes into this match after a disastrous outing against the Chennai Super Kings, when they were dismissed for their third-lowest score in the IPL – 84.

Kevin Pietersen is likely to take the field for the first time this season and his presence will certainly bolster the side. Not only is he a proven match-winner, he also has plenty of experience under his belt and one can expect his positivity to rub off on his teammates.

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IPL2014: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders, April 24 2014

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Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have a 100 percent record thus far in the Pepsi IPL 2014, will clash with the Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 11 of the season.

Both teams rejoin the tournament after four-day break. RCB trounced the Delhi Daredevils in their opening match and then rolled over the defending champions, Mumbai Indians, in their next outing. The Kolkata Knight Riders caused an upset in the very first match of Pepsi IPL 2014 when they defeated MI by 41 runs. In their second outing, they lost a close contest after the Delhi Daredevils prevailed in their chase of 167, getting home by four wickets with three balls to spare.

RCB are loaded with ample ammunition on the batting front – even without Chris Gayle whose participation in this match remains in doubt. Meanwhile, KKR definitely possess riches on the bowling front – in terms of experience, variety and match-winners.

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IPL2014: 10th match – Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings, April 23, 2014

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The Chennai Super Kings, who opened their account in Pepsi IPL 2014 with a 93-run win over the Delhi Daredevils, clash with the Rajasthan Royals in the 10th match of the season.

Both teams have a solitary win from two outings – RR got the better of Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening game – and a win for either team will mean a move up the ladder.

CSK will want a repeat of their clinical performance that saw them post 177 runs on the board and then demolish the Delhi Daredevils for 84. All their key batsmen were among the runs, the bowlers maintained their line and length, and the fielders turned into supermen while pulling off sensational catches. MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming couldn’t have asked for anything more from the CSK lads.

RR, on the other hand, did well to post 191 runs on the board but were blown away by some out-of-the-world hitting by Glenn Maxwell and David Miller. Rahul Dravid, Shane Watson and co. would have worked out areas they need to improve on and will be hoping they can keep things simple and do the basics right more often than they did in their previous outing.

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IPL2014: 9th match – Kings XI Punjab v Sunrisers Hyderabad, April 22, 2014

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Kings XI Punjab, who have two wins from two matches, clash with the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 9 of Pepsi IPL 2014.

KXIP have emerged as a force to reckon with – and start favourites heading into this match – after they nailed down two lofty run-chases in style. Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, lost their opening match of the season to the Rajasthan Royals. After crawling to 133 runs, SRH put in a spirited fight to defend that total. But RR snuck past the finish line, thanks to a mature knock by Stuart Binny.

Given how potent their bowling attack is, SRH will hope their batsmen can come all guns blazing and post sufficient runs on the board. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan, Aaron Finch and David Warner form a pretty formidable top order, and given the inexperience in the middle order, it is very crucial that one of the top three bats for the bulk of the innings and the top three make the bulk of the runs.

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IPL2014: 8th match – Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils, April 21, 2014

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The Chennai Super Kings, who currently occupy the second-last spot in league standings, clash with the Delhi Daredevils in the eighth match of the Pepsi IPL 2014.

It is not often that teams post more than 200 runs on the board and yet end up on the losing side. But that is precisely what happened to MS Dhoni’s team in their season opener, against Kings XI Punjab. Delhi Daredevils, meanwhile, started their season with a big loss against RCB, but recovered quickly to trounce KKR in their second match.

Smith and McCullum added 123 runs for the opening wicket to set up the game for CSK in their previous match. With runs in both matches, JP Duminy is Delhi Daredevils’ man in form.

MS Dhoni’s boys will know they have a clear edge going into their match against the Delhi Daredevils. The two-time IPL champions have won 8 of the 12 matches against the team from Delhi.

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IPL2014: 7th match – Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab, April 20, 2014

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Both teams registered wins in their previous matches; while RR picked up their first set of points by outclassing the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kings XI Punjab cantered to a convincing six-wicket victory over the Chennai Super Kings in a chase of 206. In a team that does not have too many explosive players at the top of the order, it is important that their skipper, Shane Watson, bats in the top three. The likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Abhishek Nayar and Sanju Samson can help build an innings, but it is critical that someone like Watson bats higher up the order to set the impetus. What our expert think about the game? Read on...

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