Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals will be eyeing a place in the final of IPL 2020 when they meet each other in qualifier one on Thursday.
The IPL 2020 campaign is edging towards the conclusion as the league phase was over on Tuesday. The playoffs are set to begin with the first qualifier between top teams during the league stage. Mumbai Indians (MI) will be looking to reach the final for the second consecutive season when they meet Delhi Capitals (DC) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on November 5.
Mumbai has been the consistent team throughout the tournament, winning nine of their 14 league games. They did suffer a big defeat in the last league game against Hyderabad, but they were resting many key players in that game. On the other hand, Delhi finally arrested a losing run of four games with a win over Bangalore in the last league game. Although DC had a poor second half of the league campaign, the good work in the first phase was enough for them to finish second in the table.
MI welcomed back Rohit Sharma in the last league game. He has missed the last few games due to a hamstring injury. His return will boost an already strong batting lineup. Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan, and Surya Kumar Yadav have been in fine form for MI this season. The consistent big hitting from Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya in the death has helped MI to post or chase down big targets.
Similar to MI, DC also has a strong batting unit. However, the form of every batsman apart from Shikhar Dhawan has been questionable in the second half of the season. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant will have to step up against MI’s strong bowling unit to give Delhi a chance to qualify for the final in the first attempt.
DC will be pleased that Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje found their rhythm against Bangalore. The two South African bowlers have been in remarkable form in IPL this season. They have combined 44 wickets in IPL 2020. The pace duo will be key for DC, while Ravichandran Ashwin will be given the duty to tighten the screws in the middle overs. (Stats courtesy: Cricbuzz)
MI boasts the best pace bowling unit in IPL 2020. Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult will return to the team after being rested against Hyderabad. They have 43 wickets between them, while James Pattinson has also chipped in with crucial wickets. Rahul Chahar has been impressing with wrist spin in middle overs, providing MI all kinds of options in the bowling department.
Delhi and Mumbai will have another chance for making it to the finals. However, winning the first qualifier will give a psychological edge in the finals. MI has twice beaten DC this season, making the qualifier an even more intriguing game due to the rivalry between the two sides.
By Kiran Thakare