IPL Cricket: AB Joins Delhi Daredevils

The Delhi Daredevils relied on the bowling of the miserly Glenn McGrath and batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir – considered by many as the best opening batting pair in the world today – as they reached the semifinals last year.

The destructive Sehwag is the only Indian batsman to have two triple centuries in Test cricket, while Gambhir played a key role in India’s ICC World Twenty20 victory with four half-centuries and a match winning 75 against Pakistan.

The Daredevils started the 2008 tournament off well by winning four out of their first five games, but were unable to sustain their good form and finished the round-robin portion of the tournament with a record of 7-7. Still, it was good enough for a semifinal spot, but the Delhi franchise lost out by 105 runs to eventual winners, the Rajasthan Royals.

After an admirable showing in 2008, the Daredevils will be hoping to go better this time around and have again secured the services of McGrath, now aged 40, as well as the tactical nous and wily spin of New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.

Other additions likely to boost the Daredevils’ chances of success include the signing of exciting Proteas batsman AB de Villiers, who has been in sparkling form for South Africa in the one-day international series against the visiting Australians, and is one of the form batsman in world cricket at present.

De Villiers will likely line up with two Australians against whom he has spent the summer doing battle in all-rounder Andrew McDonald and pint-sized opener David Warner.

The signing of the latter could be a masterstroke as Warner announced himself on the international stage in blazing fashion late last year when as a unheralded state cricketer he was called up for the first T20 match against South Africa and proceeded to bludgeon his way to 89 off only 43 balls in Melbourne.

Expect fireworks from this Daredevil. – Info by Wikipedia and IPL’s official website

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