Kings XI seek a win,Delhi search for perfect combination

Race to playoffs: David hussey & Co look to keep the momentum going as league reaches final stretch

It was not surprising to see Gurkeerat Mann among a group Kings XI Punjab players,who were put on sponsors call as the team decided to day off from practice. Manns match-winning knock against the Deccan Chargers has made him the latest pin-up boy from the Kings XI team. But not long ago,the 21-year-old was still waiting for his first shot at limelight.

Only months back,as a last-minute inclusion for Mandeep Singh,who couldnt make the Punjab-Delhi U-22 final at the Ferozeshah Kotla,Gurkeerat scored 187 to lead Punjab to title. Unlike the U-22 match,Gurkeerat is a certain starter for the Tuesdays match against the Delhi Daredevils.

Interestingly,Virender Sehwag had the option to snap up the talented Punjab batsman before this season,but the Delhi captain chose Pawan Negi for the slot instead. Delhi would be hoping that their decision doesnt cost them a defeat in the game on Tuesday.

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Tuesday night is a crunch game for David Hussey & Co as they look to keep their playoffs chances alive but incidentally,its also a crucial game for table toppers Delhi Daredevils. Despite not in the danger of missing out,there are several niggling issues,including resetting their combination that Delhi need to fix before the elimination games.

Taylor or Russell?

Sehwag has been unflinching in his support for Ross Taylor,who has been too slow in finding his form and it was a stomach bug,and not his form,that saw him lose his place to Andre Russell and subsequently Van De Merwe in the last two games. Van De Merwe might not find favour on this track,and it will boil down to Russell or Taylor for the final foreigner slot. Russell will relish the Kotla surface and has had just one chance to prove his merit. However,its the failure of Venugopala Rao and Yogesh Nagar to contribute towards a competitive total which is tilting scales back towards Taylor.

Also,with Sehwag and David Warner both stroke-makers and susceptible to early dismissals,Taylor at No.4 provides the best cushion and the Daredevils management is expected bring him back in the XI.

While Delhi is still filling in the final pieces,Kings XI has a very settled batting line-up. David Hussey and Azhar Mahmood have been batting mainstays while contributions have come across from Mandeep Singh,Shaun Marsh and Nitin Saini.

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Interestingly,all the games that Delhi has won has been solely because of their top-order while Kings XIs recent streak has been primarily built on their middle and lower-order rescue acts.

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