Morne Morkel wants to go all the way

Morne Morkel, who made an instant impression scalping three Kolkata Knight Riders batsmen on Thursday at the Eden Gardens, hoped that Delhi Daredevils would go all the way this year after disappointments of previous editions.

Excerpts from his media interaction here on Friday.

On getting winning without Pietersen and Jayawardene: It’s a massive confidence booster. KP and Mahela are going to be huge for us, but the confidence the guys like Aaron Finch and Maxwell bring is so pleasing. If we pick up an injury halfway through the tournament, we know they can do the job. They’re quality players back home for their state sides. We are lucky to have a strong squad this year to make a bid for the semis and final.

On Umesh Yadav and rest of pace battery: Sometimes wickets will suit our style, at other times we will need to adapt and come up with plan B or plan C. If Varun Aaron and other guys are fit, there is extreme depth in our bowling attack, which is a nice position to be in.

On RCB batting: They’ve got a powerhouse batting. They don’t really have many weaknesses. We need to be strong in our minds and be ready for the challenge. It’s important to fight fire with fire, and have a strong body language.

On Gayle: Virat is doing so well, (AB) De Villiers is doing so well, and (Tillakaratne) Dilshan will be hungry. But (Chris) Gayle obviously is their rock. A lot of confidence comes from him, and it will be nice to get him out early.