New Delhi, Apr 18: Virender Sehwag-led Delhi Daredevils will lock horns with Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals at the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds here in their opening match of the multi-million dollar Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition tomorrow.

With its fast-paced nature and little recovery time in the quickest version of the game, it would be a difficult to predict the favourites but one thing is sure that fans will be treated to a wholly new experience even as the two teams are set to scorch the flood-lit ground.

Although, it appears the Daredevils have the edge with South Africans Graeme Smith and Morne Morkel and Pakistanis Younis Khan and Kamran Akmal missing from the Rajathan Royals' squad. The South Africans are featuring in their domestic Twenty20 tournament while the Pakistanis are playing a home ODI series against Bangladesh.

The Daredevils may also feel the absence of Protea A B de Villiers, Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik and his national team-mate Mohammad Asif.

In the city-loyalty cricket, fans also face a stern test ahead regarding how they react to the teams comprising highly paid international stars as well as talented greenhorns after passionately supporting the Indian team for years.

Besides, it will be interesting to watch Warne and his ex-teammate Glenn McGrath in different team colours while India's Munaf Patel or Mohammad Kaif locking horns against compatriots Sehwag or Gautam Gambhir in what is being projected as a cocktail of high-quality night cricket packaged with entertainment.

Collingwood wants to play in IPL

Agencies

London, Apr 18: England's limited overs captain Paul Collingwood wants ECB to relax its stance and let the country's top players turn out in the multi-million dollar Indian Premier League.

Collingwood came out in support of views expressed by Test captain Michael Vaughan and star batsman Kevin Pietersen who argued there was no reason for England stars to miss out on the Twenty20 extravaganza.

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about the IPL. At the moment we can't play, but players will be tempted. If you had the chance to earn four times your normal money in the next six weeks, would you take it? It's human nature," Collingwood was quoted as saying by 'Sun'.

"Hopefully, there won't be a situation where players have to make a choice between the IPL and playing for England."

The enormous amounts of money being talked about may prompt some players to reconsider their priorities, he felt.

"When there's money like this bandied about, players will make a decision," Collingwood told 'The Guardian'.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has not allowed its centrally-contracted players to sign up with the BCCI-backed IPL, saying it clashed with the domestic county season.

Hampshire's Dimitri Mascarenhas is the only England player in the league and will turn out for the Rajasthan Royals.