Delhi Daredevils bank on Sehwag power

New Delhi: The IPL team Delhi Daredevils shared traits with South Africa not only because AB de Villiers shared the dressing room with them but because they are inarguably the perennial chokers of IPL.
The 2008 season started with wins against Rajasthan Royals and Deccan Chargers. With a line-up that boasted of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Glen McGrath, de Villiers and Daniel Vettori, it must not have come as surprise when they managed to get into the semifinals.

Higher honours beckoned them, but fate stood in between. Or how else could you define their 105-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in the semis.
The 2009 season was more fruitful in league stages as they emerged as the table-toppers. Such was the form of the players that even a legend like Glen McGrath was made to warm benches throughout the season. He expressed his displeasure but it went to deaf ears as the team think-tank was more than happy with their new Australian export Dirk Nannes, who was doing wonders.
The demons of defeat came alive again. The butterflies in stomach were too hard to tackle for the team and the devils - with all their daredevilry - kneeled down before the blade of Adam Gilchrist in the semifinal. The loss against Deccan Chargers ensured they didn't move beyond the semifinal once again.
In the next season, Delhi's performance couldn't even match their previous two IPL adventures. They were neon lights without electric chalks which do give hope that sometimes they might, by mere coincidence, light up the room. But flash of lightning is all you get and then in darkness they fade away. This is all what could be said about their sevin wins, seven losses record in the tournament. They had their mid-season euphoria but continuous defeats, when it mattered most, ensured their non-participation beyond league stages.
In 2011, Delhi retained only one player from their previous roster and that was Virender Sehwag. When the player market opened and calls were made, Delhi’s choices were not pleasing at least to the fans' ears. They did purchase Irfan Pathan but lost out on past performers like Dilshan, de Villiers, Dirk Nannes and former captain Gautam Gambhir.
The batting looks lackluster without the creme de la creme. Barring Virender Sehwag and David Warner, they have no famed face. Players like Unmukt Chand, Colin Ingram and Aaron Finch come with promise and dwell on hype but walking down the ramp will be an altogether different affair.
The bowling seems shoddier with only Morne Morkel, Irfan Pathan and Roelof van der Merwe to talk about. The likes of Ashok Dinda and Ajit Agarkar will make things rosier but how wise would it be to rest hopes on them is a question every fan would ask.
The all-round skills of the team, however, is something to cheer for. Robert Frylink, another South African, is a hero back home. Van der Merwe and Pathan are good enough to be depended upon for a few good knocks and wickets here and there.
For a pleasant thought, the wicket-keeper batsmen Mathhew Wade and Naman Ojha should add smiles to the faces who know how important bits-and-pieces players are in this version of the game.
Squad:
Virender Sehwag (c), Irfan Pathan, Naman Ojha, Ajit Agarkar, Ashok Dinda, Umesh Yadav, Venugopal Rao, Aavishkar Salvi, Prashant Naik, Rajesh Pawar, Robin Bist, S Sriram, Tejashwi Yadav, Unmukt Chand, Varun Aaron, Vikash Mishra, Vivek Yadav, Yogesh Nagar, Shahbaz Nadeem (Foreign) David Warner, James Hopes, Morne Morkel, Aaron Finch, Mathew Wade, Roloef van der Merwe, Andrew McDonald, Travis Birt, Collin Ingram, Robert Frylinck.

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