Backed by Rishabh Pant’s brilliant batting performance and inspirational leadership, a resurgent Delhi Capitals will aim to move up the IPL standings when they take on a disorganized Mumbai Indians in New Delhi on April 27.
The Capitals have had a roller-coaster season so far, with displays of brilliance and embarrassing losses.
But three wins in their last four games have helped them climb to sixth, while a win against MI would strengthen their bid for the playoffs.
On the other hand, after a notoriously poor start, MI bounced back with three wins in the next four games, but a comprehensive nine-wicket hammering by Rajasthan Royals ended their resurgence. They are eighth in the table and cannot afford to lose.
DC’s biggest positive is undoubtedly the form of captain Rishabh Pant, who seems to be improving with every game.
He looked sharp behind the stumps and seemed to be batting freely. He was at his best as he remained unbeaten against Gujarat Titans on Wednesday.
The southpaw is the best in India’s squad heading into the World T20 despite strong opposition from the likes of Sanju Samson, Dinesh Karthik and Ishan Kishan.
DC’s Jack Fraser-McGurk has found a top-order batsman who can capitalize on the powerplay, but expectations are high from opener Prithvi Shaw as her sole responsibility is to hit as she was used as an impact backup.
With David Warner missing the last game to make way for Shai Hope, who failed to capitalize on his potential, the Australian veteran is likely to return to the starting line-up.
Tristan Stubbs proved time and again that he can hit the ball ruthlessly with the bat and Akshar Patel also showed his batting prowess as he earned a boost in a four-point win over GT.
With the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Akshar bowling economically, DC’s fast bowling unit needs to step up.
Pace striker Anrich Nortje is having a forgettable season with a run-rate of 13.36, which is a big problem for Delhi.
Players like Khalil Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar and Ishant Sharma have been plagued by injuries, resulting in inconsistent runs.
The MI batsmen brought their clean slate, having posted figures of 234/5 earlier in the season. DCO will be wary of similar performances.
MI’s resurgence this season began with a win against DC, with the five-time champions hoping for another performance in this crucial game.
For Mumbai, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Verma are all available, but they have all found their form. It’s time for the likes of Tim David, Ishan Kishan and skipper Hardik Pandya to make big contributions and take the pressure off the top trio.
While the batting department looks good at times, the bowling is a major concern.
Jasprit Bumrah is expected to be a standout bowler for MI. He led the attack with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.37.
However, new signing Gerald Coetzee had an inconsistent performance in his first IPL match. Despite his economy rate of 10.10, the South African pacer took 12 wickets in 8 matches.
But without the two seamers, Mumbai’s bowling was disappointing.
the team
Capital Delhi: Rishabh Pant (C), David Warner, Abhishek Porel, Ricky Bhuy, Yash Dhul, Shai Hope, Prithvi Shaw, Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kushagra, Swastik Chikara, Ishant Sharma, Jaye Richardson, Rasik Dar Salam, Vicky Ostwall, Enrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Praveen Dubey, Khalil Ahmed, Sumit Kumar, Akshar Patel, Gulbadin Naib, Lalit Yadav, Jack Fraser-McGurk.
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (C), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Karthikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwana Mafaka, Mohammad Nabi , Shams Mullani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Sheppard, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Tushara, Tilak Verma, Harvik Desai, Nehal Vadra, Luke Wood.
The match will start at 3.30 pm (IST).
Tags: IPL17 Battling upbeat Delhi Capitals Mumbai Indians hot race playoffs
-
