Home is where the heart is, as the adage goes, and the Delhi Daredevils will have to display plenty of that if they are to get past a resurgent Rajasthan Royals on their return back to the Feroze Shah Kotla in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.
It does seem like it is all coming together for the Daredevils. An indifferent start to the IPL saw critics wince their eyes at the squad put together by Gary Kirsten & Co, that on paper, had looked balanced.
The batting lacked bite in the absence of Kevin Pietersen, while the lack of a proven spinner often showed despite the best efforts of their faster bowlers.
But Pietersen’s return has galvanized the team with a narrow defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad being followed by a morale boosting win over the Mumbai Indians. And now with Imran Tahir reportedly set to replace the injured Nathan Coulter-Nile, Delhi look set to launch an assault for a playoff place.
But their first obstacle is a Rajasthan Royals side that had started to bloom in the deserts of the Middle East. ‘Smart cricket’ was how Royals all-rounder Rajat Bhatia described their game and smart, it certainly has been. Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson, Shane Watson and Steve Smith have all stepped up when it mattered while Pravin Tambe’s improbable run with the ball has continued in this edition as well. And with James Faulkner joining the party in their thrilling tie — Royals took home the points on account of hitting more boundaries — against Kolkata Knight Riders, Royals have the pawns in place to ensure at least a playoff spot.
But with the IPL juggernaut leaving behind the slow surfaces of the UAE and moving on to the belters that the domestic pitches usually are, it may all boil down to which team redrafts their strategy better.
Can Pietersen and Kirsten outsmart Rajasthan’s ‘smart cricket’? An answer will soon be found within the short boundaries of the Kotla.