Delhi Daredevils would look to regain the winning momentum when they take on Kings XI Punjab who are seeking to earn a playoff berth in the Indian Premier League, on Saturday.
Table-toppers Daredevils are already assured of a place in the playoffs thanks to their 10 wins from 15 matches, but lost their last encounter, against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Feroz Shah Kotla, their home ground in Delhi.
Punjab, on the other hand, kept alive their hopes of securing a playoff berth, thanks to the convincing win against Chennai Super Kings yesterday. Punjab have eight wins from 15 outings and are on the sixth pace with 16 points.
The Daredevils were handicapped by the absence of a sick Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Morne Morkel who was rested for the match against RCB.
The possible returns of Sehwag and Morkel here would surely bolster the side, who must be glad to see Ross Taylor getting back his touch.
"Ross hitting form is good for the team," Mahela Jayawardene, who captained Delhi against RCB, had said.
With someone like Sehwag missing from the line-up and David Warner perishing early, it was always going to be a daunting task for the Daredevils to chase down a huge target of 216, but Taylor's enterprise gave them a glimmer of hope against RCB.
They may be through to the next stage, but Delhi are not likely to experiment too much as two defeats on the trot could disturb their momentum.
While it is not a make-or-break match for the Daredevils, it surely is one for Kings XI Punjab.
The Kings kept themselves in contention for a place in the playoffs with a comfortable victory set up by their seamers against Super Kings.
