DD unleashed their fierce best in their seventh game against the KKR at the Feroz Shah Kotla, and posted the highest total of VIVO IPL 2018. Furthermore, we restricted the visitors to 164-9 in the run chase to take a resounding 55-run victory.

Going into the game, DD had hit the refresh button with the young Shreyas Iyer leading the side. Iyer did not disappoint as he plundered three fours and ten sixes to score an unbeaten 93 runs from 40 balls. This was the highest VIVO IPL score on captaincy debut. Initially, Colin Munro and Prithvi Shaw gave DD a blistering start. Munro scored a quickfire 33 off 18 balls and Prithvi Shaw scored 62 off 44 balls, thus becoming the joint youngest to score a fifty in the VIVO IPL. Later, the bowlers came out with flying colours as they restricted KKR to 164. Amit Mishra was the pick of the bowlers and returned with figures of 2/23, including a maiden.

Our eighth game of the season will be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune against the Chennai Super Kings. The returning CSK have been good in this year’s VIVO IPL, but had to face a tough defeat in their last game against the Mumbai Indians by 8 wickets. Though we haven’t been at our best throughout the tournament, our last game saw us hit peak form and we’ll be going against CSK, who are coming off a loss. Shreyas Iyer and Co. will be determined to keep their form going and string a few consecutive victories together, starting at the MCA.

Positives

Munro and Shaw to put up a clinical performance against KKR and gave us the perfect T20 start in the powerplay - a run rate of almost 10 with no wickets lost. Prithvi Shaw’s emergence as a vital opener for DD has garnered him praise from all corners. We all know about Munro’s big hitting abilities and he showed a glimpse of it in the last game. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer have also been in tremendous form in this season and will look to keep it going.

Our pace department has been ruthless in the last two games. The pace trio of Boult, Plunkett and Avesh have been doing a great job for us. In the spin department, Amit Mishra and Rahul Tewatia have been economical in the middle overs, keeping the hard-hitters at bay.

Key Players

Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell loves to play against CSK. He has a strike rate of 201.98 and has scored 204 runs in 4 matches along with two fifties against them. Interestingly, his highest VIVO IPL score of 95 also came against the men in yellow.

A massive innings from The Big Show is due and just around the corner. The DD fans will be hoping he can work his magic against the CSK.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer is probably in the form of his life, having scored three incredible half-centuries in a row. Also, he’s taken to captaincy like a duck to water. He has shown no signs of added pressure, and he’s gone about his business extremely well.

The CSK game holds huge consequences for our season ahead, and the skipper will be looking to lead from the front and deliver another match-winning knock.

Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra didn’t start the tournament off on the right note, but has slowly found his groove. Pune has been a good hunting ground for him as well. In the 4 matches that he has played there, he has picked up 8 wickets with a miserly economy rate of 6.35.

The CSK top and middle-order, with the likes of Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni play spin really well. Therefore, how Mishra goes about his four overs will have a huge impact on the result of the game.

Liam Plunkett

Liam Plunkett is having a dream debut VIVO IPL season. He has kept things extremely tight in the two matches that he has played, with a stunning economy rate of 5.12. The Englishman is quick, and has the ability to execute the slower ones with perfection. He will be a key member of our bowling attack, and will be eager to make a mark against the two-time champions.

We’ve gotten back to winning ways, and we’ll look to keep it that way. A few back-to-back wins will certainly boost the morale of the unit, and go a long way in making the boys believe that they can do something special from hereon.

VIVO IPL Match 30: CSK vs DD, 8 pm IST

VENUE: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune.

BROADCAST: Star Sports Network