They are at opposite ends of the IPL success spectrum, but there is little to separate between the Indians of Mumbai and the capital cities of Delhi in the thirteenth edition of the tournament as they head to a highly successful first qualifier here on Thursday.
The team to beat on the league stage, four-time winner Mumbai lost a bit of its momentum after a 10-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday.
Chasing their first title, Delhi Capitals returned to form by beating Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets to take second place, after four consecutive losses.
The biggest positive for Mumbai has been the return of captain Rohit Sharma, who had missed four games to recover from a hamstring injury. The star starter, however, perished cheaply against SRH and should do well on the big day.
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The defending champs boast an explosive batting formation along with an equally deadly bowling attack, but the hitters had a bad day against SRH.
His bowlers were also brought to task: a wake-up call before the crucial game.
Delhi’s median order has been slow and heavily reliant on one or two batters.
The Mumbai higher order has been firing at full throttle and young Ishan Kishan (428 races) has been a revelation. Quinton De Kock (443) would be willing to continue his sublime form as he opens with Rohit.
And also Suryakumar Yadav (410), who has played some brilliant shots.
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Known for their six-hitting prowess, Hardik Pandya (241), Kieron Pollard (259) and Krunal Pandya (95) have beaten bowling attacks into submission.
Pollard’s six-hitting ability was on display again when he looted corefour highs against SRH. All three could be the difference.
Mumbai rested key players – Jasprit Bumrah (23 wickets) and Trent Boult (20 wickets) – against SRH. Both have been lethal up front and in death.
Spinners Rahul Chahar (15 plots) and Krunal (5 plots) will have to forget the hammering they received from David Warner and Wriddhiman Saha before taking on DC.
On the other hand, Ajinkya Rahane (111 runs) is back between races after scoring 60 wins against RCB.
Shikhar Dhawan (525) has been in top form, two hundred and three out of fifty, but will need the support of others in a great game.
A major cause for concern is the form of two youngsters, starter Prithvi Shaw (228) and Rishabh Pant (282), who have not lived up to their true potential. This has been the case for its key players abroad: West Indian Shimron Hetmyer (138 runs) and Marcus Stoinis (249 runs).
Captain Shreyas Iyer (421) will have to play the role of anchor.
On the bowling front, the South African rhythm duo of Kagiso Rabada (25 wickets) and Anrich Nortje (19) have been exceptional.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel have done well to put down rival teams.
Early in the league stage, Mumbai edged Delhi twice, but Rohit admitted it’s history.
“You keep doing well, I know you want to remember those performances, but it’s always good to forget what happened and focus on the present,” said Rohit.
Teams (from):
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Chris Lynn, Dhawal Kulkarni, Digvijay Deshmukh, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, James Pattison, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Mitchell, McCinter-Nathile-Nath Prince Balwant Rai, Quinton De Kock, Rahul Chahar, Saurabh Tiwary, Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult.
Capitals of Delhi: Delhi Capitals: Shreyas Iyer (c), Kagiso Rabada, Marcus Stoinis, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Shimron Hetmyer, Alex Carey, Mohit Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, Lalit Yadav, Axelhvesh Khan, Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Rishabh Pant, Harshal Patel, Keemo Paul, Amit Mishra, Anrich Nortje, Daniel Sams.
The match starts at 7.30 PM IST.
