Its Semi-Final time and Delhi play Deccan Chargers in the first semi-final in Centurion this evening, while Chennai will take on Bangalore Royal Challengers in the second semi-final on Saturday night.
Delhi’s opening duo hasn’t been at its best, but that hasn’t stopped them from looking a formidable unit right through the tournament. If the star of the middle-order has been AB de Villiers, there have been two silent performers in the team who have always chipped in with useful performances at the right time to take Delhi out of trouble.
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Karthik are not the biggest stars of the Delhi team; they are not used to too much stardom at the national level either. While Karthik is still coming to terms with the fact that he is not in the T20 World Cup team, Dilshan is finally relishing the opportunity to bat up the order, which he doesn’t always get while playing for Sri Lanka.
In a tournament of many ups and downs, Delhi have looked the safest bet by a long stretch, but there’s a thin line between confidence and complacency that they will need to be wary of. Sachin Tendulkar agreed that the Daredevils had looked the most impressive in the tournament, but felt the best team on the day would win. “Delhi has looked the best side, without doubt. But in this format, it’s a case of having one bad day and the pressure is on you. Instead of hitting sixes, the ball might be caught at long-off. But the good thing for Delhi is that they have done well, and done well consistently,” he said.
