Pune Warriors v Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2012, Pune

Delhi out to settle scores with Pune

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Match facts

Tuesday, April 24, Delhi
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)

	Sourav Ganguly's all-round performance was the highlight of Pune Warriors' previous clash with Delhi Daredevils © Associated Press  Enlarge

Big picture

Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils have had a good look at each other, having played a high-octane game on Saturday. Warriors came back from two straight losses to post what was in the end a comfortable victory, led passionately by Sourav Ganguly. Daredevils, the team to beat so far this season, were in the game when Virender Sehwag and Kevin Pietersen set the Kotla alight during five overs of ruthless domination in a big chase, but were shut out once they fell.

Barring Deccan Chargers, the tournament is wide open as the teams head towards the half-way stage of their campaigns, and a defeat for Daredevils will spice things up further. Can they level scores with Warriors, who are playing at home, where they won two out of two?

Form guide

Delhi Daredevils: LWWWL

Pune Warriors: WLLWL

Players to watch

Alfonso Thomas came in for Marlon Samuels in Warriors' previous game and bagged 3 for 22. He was the joint leading wicket-taker for Titans, the winners of South Africa's MiWay T20 competition, and is the second-highest wicket-taker in the T20 format. He was accurate against Daredevils both early on and during his return spell, and Warriors have good reason to retain him for Tuesday.

Morne Morkel is the highest wicket-taker this season but was smacked around by Warriors, going for 50 in three overs, albeit taking three wickets. He was at the receiving end of an early assault from Jesse Ryder, who began fortuitously, edging to third man and fine leg for boundaries, but dealt with him more convincingly thereafter. Morkel has a score to settle.

Stats and trivia

• Taking the first six overs of an innings into account, Warriors scored 316 runs off 252 balls in seven games, going at 7.52 an over. This is, at the time of writing, the second-highest in terms of runs scored and third-highest in terms of run-rates for a team this IPL - Rajasthan Royals top the list for runs (329) and Deccan Chargers (7.86) for run-rates.
• In Twenty20 cricket, Thomas is third on the list of bowlers who have bowled batsmen the most times. He's had 54 bowled dismissals in 135 matches. Lasith Malinga heads the list with 70 in 101 games and Dirk Nannes is next with 68 in 142. In the IPL, Malinga again tops the list with 38 in 25. Irfan Pathan is next with 19 in 15.
  Quotes
  "Ultimately, we have to see the team balance and right now, his performance behind the stumps has been satisfying. We don't have many options because we didn't take part in the auction." Sourav Ganguly on having Robin Uthappa as a makeshift keeper.