This is a contest between a team that would like to believe it has turned a corner and another that seemed to have turned a corner, before it was rather rudely pulled back. They are also traditionally strong IPL sides: Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers have both made two semi-finals each, and Deccan have won once. The auction has left them unsettled though. Delhi have lost many players, including the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Daniel Vettori and Dirk Nannes. Deccan have lost their captain and father figure, Adam Gilchrist, and big players like Andrew Symonds and Rohit Sharma. The replacements are there, and they come with reputations, but are yet to settle in and compensate for the losses.
Deccan shrugged off a slow start by beating Royal Challengers Bangalore, but Gilchrist and his Kings XI Punjab ran all over them in the fourth game to leave them with just one win from four matches. Delhi had a similar start to their campaign before they finally won in their third attempt, chasing down 188 against Pune Warriors in Mumbai.