Gambhir hopes Delhi will be Daredevils

The captain thinks the must-win situation of two matches to make the semi-final grade will bring the best out of them.

With their backs to the wall, Gautam Gambhir is expecting a bit of daredevilry from his Delhi side in the two matches ahead to clinch their spot in the last-four. Delhi seemed to be cruising towards a spot in the semi-finals with six wins from nine games, until the wheels started coming off. They have now lost three in a row - in Kolkata, at home to Punjab and then away at Mumbai - and need to win two out of two.

The tough but straightforward equation, Gambhir believes, could bring the best out of his faltering team in tonight's match in Chennai and the game to follow against Deccan Chargers at home. "We need to win both our games if we are to qualify for the semi- finals," Gambhir was quoted as saying on the official IPL website. "Sometimes it's good to be in such a position where you have to win both the games as you can express yourself completely in such games because you know that there is no other.

"You don't have another chance of being complacent, so sometimes it becomes a blessing in disguise as we have seen with Deccan Chargers [who have won three on the trot after needing to win five from five]. "Hopefully we can win the next two games and end up getting into the semi-finals," he added. Delhi are fourth in the points table, but have the same 12 points as Chennai Super Kings, who are second with a better run-rate.

The home side also need to win their remaining two matches, but they will fancy their chances with a game at home tonight and then a visit to Dharamsala for the final match against Kings XI Punjab. "I think the team mood has been really upbeat," R Ashwin, the star of Chennai's nine-wicket triumph over Kolkata on Tuesday, was quoted as saying on the official website. "I don't think we've been bothering about the must-win game here. "I think everybody is up for the challenge. "After all, the IPL is so big and it's getting so tight at the end and everybody is looking for a challenge," the mediumpacer added yesterday. * Compiled by Ahmed Rizvi, with agencies Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils, 6.30pm on CricOne