IPL 2018: Gautam Gambhir continues to exude class, but Delhi Daredevils start off on wrong foot

Delhi Daredevils have had negative tags associated with them for a very long time now, with ‘underachiever’ being one that has come to define the side of late. There was a lot of hope of a fresh start for the side with the appointment of a new captain and coach in Gautam Gambhir and Ricky Ponting respectively, as well as a number of smart purchases that lent the squad the right balance for them to win the title. However, the Daredevils did themselves no favour on Sunday with an underwhelming performance that saw them get off to a losing start in the 11th edition of the league. [caption id=“attachment_4424063” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Gautam Gambhir plays a shot during his innings of 55 off 42 balls. Image credit: Twitter/@DelhiDaredevils[/caption] Delhi hardly appeared to wrest control of the proceedings during the course of the game, and there is a lot left to be desired from Gambhir’s men going forward into the tournament, especially after they appeared to put up the least fight among the teams that have battled in the three matches so far. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) — another side with a new leader at its helm — won the toss and opted to field first, with skipper Ashwin starting off with the new ball right away. The Tamil Nadu off-spinner did not take long to get into his element with the ball, switching to leg spin every now and then to not only keep the batsmen guessing but also send a message to the national selectors of his prowesses with the white ball Deploying a spinner from one end during the powerplay, his decision to introduce Afghan debutant Mujeeb Ur Rahman early in the attack worked wonders. Mujeeb, who became the youngest player in the history of the league by debuting at 17 years and 11 days, barely showed any nerves as he kept the Delhi batsmen guessing with his bag of tricks. After a bit of a cautious start, Gambhir hit top gear off Axar Patel’s first over, smacking him for two fours and a six — all off successive deliveries — to not only dent the left-arm spinner’s confidence but also get into his groove. It was a good day out for the DD captain with the bat, as he paced his innings well while bringing up his 36th IPL half-century, equaling former Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain David Warner’s record. Gambhir could’ve eyed a bigger score, had it not been for him going slack in his running between the wickets in the 15th over, one that resulted in his run-out courtesy a direct-hit by Mujeeb. If not for a couple of lusty blows by Morris, Delhi might not have even thought of crossing the 150-run mark. A target of 167 looked competitive to say the least, with an attack comprising Trent Boult and Mohammed Shami. However, their hopes of containing the KXIP charge with an attack that consisted of four seamers, nearly vanished in the first three overs itself, thanks to one of the most memorable T20 knocks ever witnessed, with Rahul obliterating both Shami, Boult and Amit Mishra to bring up the fastest fifty in the league (14 balls). With the score reading 52/0 after three overs, 51 of which were scored by the KXIP wicketkeeper-batsman himself, Punjab got the foundation on which they could build a successful chase without much effort. In the end, it was the unfancied leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia (1/24) and all-rounder Daniel Christian (1/12) who were the pick of the Delhi bowlers, with Shami suffering a brutal beating in the two overs that he bowled in the innings (2-0-26-0). There weren’t too many positives for the Daredevils from their first game of the tournament, aside from Gambhir’s form with the bat, and the six-wicket loss at the hands of KXIP would’ve come as a wake-up call for the DD captain and the rest of the leadership group. Given the length of the tournament, however, there is no reason to fret right away, and there is still room for the side to find their combination right as they chart their course towards a maiden title. Glenn Maxwell joining the squad ahead of their second game, in which they take on Rajasthan Royals at the latter’s turf, should provide further impetus to the team’s batting potential. It remains to be seen, however, how Gambhir takes this loss and guides his team in the remainder of the tournament.