Delhi Daredevils had a forgettable Pepsi IPL 2014, finishing with the wooden spoon – losing 12 of their 14 matches. This no-show prompted the owners to revamp the side at the Pepsi IPL 2015 Player Auction. They roped in new players including two seasoned Indian stars – Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh – and named a new captain. Ahead of his first match as DD’s official captain, JP Duminy acknowledged the shortcomings of the team in the past seasons and expressed the intent to change that in the 2015 season. “We spoke today about getting dirty and putting our bodies in the line,” Duminy said when asked what the team will need to do to get the first points on the board, against Chennai Super King. “There is no guarantee of results but we have got to give ourselves a good chance. “We’ve had a really good week of preparation where we have come in together and tried to gel with each other. We have a fair idea of what our strengths and weaknesses are and how we want to play in this IPL. For starters, we just need to find a way of getting those two points – whether it is ugly or pretty.” It can be difficult to bring a totally refurbished team to gel together in a short span of time, and most IPL teams have faced that challenge. But Duminy hopes that the presence of coach Gary Kirsten, who has vast knowledge of how Indian cricketers work and think, will make the process easier. The DD captain, however, also put it on the players to make the effort to come together as a unit. “It is always going to be an advantage to have someone like Gary on board,” Duminy said. “He has been involved with Indian Cricket for a long time and he understands the culture and personalities of the Indians. “But having said that, it is up to us players also to take responsibility for that. We understand that for us to be successful we need to gel together as a team and get to know each other well – understanding what makes each other tick. I know that is going to be a process for us in this tournament because we’ve only had a week together. But we are looking forward to the challenge.” When asked if Yuvraj Singh’s absence from international cricket for over a year was a concern, Duminy dismissed it saying cricketers like him find a way to stand up and be counted. “It doesn’t matter if he hasn’t been part of the Indian team for a long time. He is a match-winner and I have no doubt that in this IPL he will win games on his own,” Duminy said of Yuvraj. “We have seen that year after year where he has put in big performances and I know he takes a lot of pride in his performance. I have no doubt we can expect some big things from him for DD this time.” DD’s new captain also said he would feel at ease having an astute veteran head like Zaheer Khan to turn to. “Zaheer’s experience is definitely one not only I but many players in the squad will tap into.” Ahead of taking on CSK in their own backyard, Duminy acknowledged that the hosts will start out as favourites. “They have been a consistent performing team in the IPL for a number of years and it would be naïve of me to think that they wouldn’t be favourites,” Duminy said. “But that gives us a great opportunity to play with freedom with nothing to lose.”