IPL team preview: Delhi Daredevils

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The Indian Premier League's perennial underachievers are eager to undo the wrongs of the past with a new-look squad.

<b>Captain</b>: Kevin Pietersen<br><b>Coach</b>: Gary Kirsten<br><b>IPL Best</b>: Third (2009, 2012)<br><b>Cricket365 prediction:</b> Fifth

<b>Overview</b><br>The Indian Premier League's perennial underachievers are eager to undo the wrongs of the past with a new-look squad. With Kirsten hired as coach and Pietersen deployed as captain across a unit sans any overseas players retained from last year, this might be their year. The South African doesn't have the pressures associated with the Proteas to sideline and the Englishman is no longer really affiliated with the turmoil of the England dressing room. Opportunity, indeed, knocks.

<b>Key Batsman</b><br>The talented <b>JP Duminy</b>, away from home and on the sub-continent, has developed quite a following – and rightly so. The hard-hitting left-hander is able to up the ante at will – particularly in a finishing role through the closing overs.

<b>Key Bowler</b><br>The in-form <b>Mohammed Shami</b> has successfully managed to separate himself from India's other burgeoning seamers. Loyal, unassuming and a real team player, this tournament will allow him the chance to earn some riches for those otherwise unnoticed credentials.

<b>Likely Benchwarmer</b><br>New Zealand all-rounder <b>Jimmy Neesham</b> has already acknowledged his role in the squad as relatively bit-part. He will be the first international player to be benched when the player cap demands.

<b>They Said:</b> "At the auction we made a decision to select a new squad and not retain anyone from last year. We are looking towards working with a new squad. Don't know whether it's a right decision or not, but that's what we have gone for." – coach <b>Gary Kirsten</b>.

<b>Squad:</b> Dinesh Karthik, Murali Vijay, Mohammed Shami, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma, Jaydev Undakat, Saurabh Tiwary, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Shahbaz Nadeem, Kedhar Jadhav, Siddarth Kaul, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Shukla, Milind Kumar, HS Sharath, Jayant Yadav, Kevin Pietersen, Ross Taylor, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Wayne Parnell, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile.

<b>Fixtures</b><br>17 April: Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Bangalore<br>19 April: Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils<br>21 April: Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils<br>25 April: Sunrisers Hyderabad v Delhi Daredevils<br>27 April: Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians<br>3 May: Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals<br>5 May: Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings<br>7 May: Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders<br>10 May: Delhi Daredevils v Sunrisers Hyderabad<br>13 May: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils<br>15 May: Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils<br>19 May: Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab<br>23 May: Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils<br>25 May: Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils

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