Last Time they met at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground for their inaugural match of the Indian Premier League, Delhi Daredevils mauled Rajasthan Royals by nine wickets. But that did not come as a surprise then as the Delhi team boasted of names that constituted a better Twenty20 side, while Jaipur had a lone star in Shane Warne who had retired from active cricket.

The two teams meet again—this time at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium — but the equation is totally different. Mid-way into the tournament, the team considered as underdogs has emerged as the leader and is perfectly placed on the top of the IPL table with 12 points.

Shane Warne has proved to be an inspirational leader and has not only led his bunch of young guns from the front, but has also instilled a sense of self belief and confidence into the team, making it a force to reckon with.

“We don’t use computers. We use our brains,” Warne had said in one of his press conferences. And the Aussie has rightly used it to maximize the resources at his command. He has dared to seek initiatives and has emerged triumphant in six out of the eight games his team has played so far.

After the drubbing at the hands Mumbai Indians, the Royals bounced back to hand over a similar treatment to Deccan Chargers here on Friday. On the other hand, Delhi Daredevils squandered a big opportunity against Chennai Super Kings in a game that went down to the wire.

The Sunday tussle, however, offers a more keenly-contested match between the two sides which have the firepower to dismantle their rivals on a given day.

Warne once again will be relying more on his planned tactics and strategies and being the hosts this time, the skipper will make most of the home conditions.

Though devoid of big names, Warne has marshalled his resources well and once again will be looking forward to Yusuf Pathan and Graeme Smith to deliver the goods at the top of the order. Kaif, the highest paid player of the team, hasn’t had a good run in the tournament. But Warne knows that Kaif’s experience with the bat and utility on the field will come in handy against the Daredevils.

Then he has the consistent Shane Watson who has bailed the team out, both with the bat and the ball, on numerous occasions. With the inform Swapnil Asnodkar (if he recovers fully) and Ravindra Jadeja in the middle, Warne will be upbeat about his team’s chances.

Though Sohail Tanvir failed to ignite the magic with the ball against Deccan Chargers, he is always a potent weapon in Warne’s amour. And with the leggie legend himself leading the charge, the bowling, backed up by Munaf Patel and Shane Watson, has a cutting edge.

“I believe in my players and they have the will to win. The first match was a shock but we have re-grouped well as a team. We have a big game against Daredevils and a win would help us consolidate our position at the top”, Warne said.
 

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