Delhi hoping to come hard at Chennai in do-or-die battle

Wounded Delhi Daredevils would be eager to draw inspiration from their own performances in the league stages for a spot in the final of the ongoing Indian Premier League when they take on a rejuvenated Chennai Super Kings in the second qualifying match in Chennai on Thursday.

Having topped the table with 11 wins out of 16 matches at the league stage, the Daredevils were humbled by Kolkata Knight Riders in the first qualifier in Pune on Tuesday.

The high-flying Daredevils failed to live up to their expectations with a string of mediocre performances in their previous game against KKR and tomorrow is their last chance to redeem their reputation of being the most consistent side of the IPL V so far.

On the other hand, defending champions Chennai, despite their ordinary performances in the league stages, peaked just at the right time. They recovered from an impossible situation to keep alive their chances of winning a hat-trick titles alive.

With skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who smashed a whirlwind 20-ball 51 against Mumbai Indians last night to help his team make the second qualifier, returning to form in style, the Daredevils might have to bring in some fresh game plan to arrest the marauding Chennai outfit.

While Chennai would be hoping for a similar performance, in what could be considered as a semifinal against the Daredevils tomorrow, Virender Sehwag's men would be relying heavily on their batting.