The Rajasthan Royals team will look to resuscitate their title defence in an IPL match against Delhi Daredevils today.

The Virender Sehwag-led Delhi team is gradually emerging as one of the strongest title contenders and is comfortably second in the points tally after winning all its three matches played so far.

On the other hand, Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals has managed three points by virtue of the tied match against Kolkata Knight Riders which they won in the 'Super Over' and are languishing seventh in the table.

The Delhi Daredevils' formidable batting line-up, which managed 189 for 5 - the highest score of the tournament so far - against last year's runner-up Chennai Super Kings in their second outing, has made them a force to reckon with.

Early breakthroughs

Their explosive opening pair of Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, followed by the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored a gutsy 67 to guide the team to a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore yesterday, will be a worry for Rajasthan bowlers.

In-form all-rounder AB de Villiers and Mithun Manhas have also proved themselves in trying moments and the side is seemingly poised for chasing down stiff targets.

In the bowling department, Dutch-born Australian left-arm paceman Dirk Nannes, along with India discard Ashish Nehra, is showing some ominous penetration power and getting early breakthroughs. The new-ball pair is finding supports from the spin duo of Amit Mishra and New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, who is drawing from his vast experience to make Delhi's bowling formidable.

In contrast, Rajasthan have seemed like a shadow of the winning unit they were last season.

Young paceman Kamran Khan, who scalped two wickets for 15 runs for a losing cause in yesterday's match against Kings XI Punjab, and speedster Munaf Patel are surely doing their bit but the batting has failed to back their consistent effort.

The team will be desperate for some fireworks from South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, who is yet to make any notable contribution.

The middle-order consisting Australian Rob Quiney and British Dimitri Mascarenhas will also have to strike form for the side to climb up in the points ladder.

Approaching milestones

 - In case of a win against Rajasthan Royal Challengers,
  Delhi would be the second team after Deccan Chargers
  to register four successive wins in the 2009 edition.
 
- Yusuf Pathan (498) needs just two runs to become the
  first batsman from Rajasthan Royals to aggregate 500
  runs in the IPL.  Before the start of today's game,
  seven batsmen have recorded 500-plus in the IPL.  They
  are: Shaun Marsh (616), Adam Gilchrist (599), Sanath
  Jayasuriya (593), Gautam Gambhir (565), Suresh Raina
  (523), Rahul Dravid (515) and Rohit Sharma (513).
 
 
- Gautam Gambhir needs 52 runs to overtake Shaun Marsh's
  aggregate of 616 and to become the leading run-getter
  in the IPL.
 
- Gambhir, in case of a fifty, would be the first to
  register six fifties in the IPL.
 
- The top three bowlers in the IPL are: Rudra Pratap
  Singh (24), Shane Warne (23) and Sohail Tanvir (22).
  Shane Warne can regain the top spot with just two
  wickets against Delhi.
 
 
Head to Head
 
                 Played  Won  Lost   Winning %
 
Rajasthan in IPL   19    13    5      68.42 (1 Tied)
vs.Delhi            3     2    1      66.67
 
                 Played  Won  Lost   Winning %
 
Delhi in IPL       17    10    7      58.82
vs.Rajasthan        3     1    2      33.33