Delhi Daredevils start favourites against wobbly Mumbai Indians

Mumbai, May 3 (UNI) The hosts Mumbai Indians have their task cut out as they take on table toppers the rampaging Delhi Daredevils in the DLF Indian Premier League match at the D Y Patil stadium in Navi here tomorrow.

Delhi Daredevils, led by the irresistible icon player Virender Sehwag are firing on all cylinders, will be looking to continue their winning form against a wobbly Mumbai Indians in hot and humid conditions.

The home team has sorely missed its captain and injured icon player Sachin Tendulkar in their first five matches and the none-too-encouraging news is the master batsman is still not feeling cent per cent fit.

A lot hinges on Tendulkar's availability for the tie if Mumbai Indians are to stun the high-flying Delhi outfit in the inaugural Twenty20 League.

Tendulkar played his first match yesterday, albeit against a team made up of his own teammates, after more than a month and fielded for the whole of the opposition's 20-over innings and also batted.

He is to take a final call on whether he is fit to play the match only tomorrow and the hosts are hoping fervently he's available to play his first competitive game since turning out for India against South Africa in the first Test at Chennai in March-end.

In his absence, the team has struggled to put together decent totals on board and strike at opportune times to put the opposition under pressure. The end result is that Mumbai Indians, for which Reliance Industries had paid the highest auction amount among all eight teams, are currently placed seventh.

Only a marginally superior net run-rate is keeping them above cellar team Bangalore Royal Challengers.

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