Table of Contents
MI registered their second consecutive victory this season, as they defeated SRH by defending another low total. Next up are the Delhi Capitals who are also coming on the back of an impressive victory against PK. The two sides played the final last season, where Indians dominated the opposition and secured their second successive IPL title.
Mumbai Indians started their campaign with a loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, they have bounced back in style, winning their next two games against Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The batting unit has not been up to the mark, but the bowling unit has delivered impressive performances in the past two games. Rahul Chahar has been the standout bowler for the defending champions, picking up seven wickets in the last two matches.
As for Delhi Capitals, Shikhar Dhawan scored a brilliant knock to guide his team past the finishing line against the Punjab Kings. The Delhi batsman scored 92 runs off just 49 balls, which included 13 fours and two sixes. Marcus Stoinis finished the job for his side, as he scored a vital knock of 27 runs in just 13 balls. The runner-ups of last season have now won two of their opening three games, with their only loss coming against Rajasthan Royals.
Key Players
Rohit Sharma got off to another good start against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but failed to convert it into a big knock. The Mumbai Indians skipper scored 32 runs off 25 balls, before he was dismissed by Vijay Shankar. The opener also got off to a decent start against Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 43 runs off 32 balls. In the first game, he was unfortunate to be run-out for a score of just 19 runs after a miscommunication with Chris Lynn. He will hope to score a big knock against Delhi Capitals on Tuesday, an opposition against whom he scored a half-century in the finals last season.
Rahul Chahar has been one of the best bowlers so far. The Indian leg-spinner has dominated the opposition batting lineup and has picked up seven wickets so far. Moreover, he was handed the player of the match award against Kolkata Knight Riders, where he picked up four wickets. Chahar picked up key wickets of Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana and Eoin Morgan to bring MI back into the match. He was instrumental in MI’s win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he picked up three wickets, including the key wicket of Manish Pandey.
Shikhar Dhawan is the current holder of the Orange Cap, as he has managed to score 186 runs in his three innings so far. The Delhi opener was awarded the player of the match for his knock of 92 runs against the Punjab Kings. He also bagged the man of the match award in Delhi’s victory over Chennai Super Kings, after he scored 85 runs off just 54 balls, which included 10 fours and two sixes. The Indian batsman has been one of the most consistent batters in the IPL over the past two seasons. He also ended as the second-highest run-getter last season after scoring more than 600 runs.
Rishabh Pant scored just 15 runs in his last game against PBKS, and had an unusual strike rate of just under 100. The left-hander will hope to score big against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday. Pant’s only half-century last season came against the same opposition in the finals. The newly appointed Delhi skipper was on song during Delhi’s match against Rajasthan Royals. He scored 51 runs off just 32 balls, which included nine fours. In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, Pant will have to be a consistent performer for his side if they are to reach the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
Match Prediction
Both sides are coming on the back of an impressive win and will be high on confidence. Mumbai Indians’ batting has not been up to the mark this season, with their middle-order failing to score big runs. Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan have had poor outings so far and have been unable to end the innings with a flurry of runs. However, their bowling unit has been one of the finest this season and have saved the day for their side.
Delhi Capitals’ batting unit has been impressive so far, as they have chased down two huge totals against Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings. Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw have been providing some quick starts, which has laid the foundation for the rest of the innings. However, their troubles at the number three position continue to persist, with Steve Smith disappointing in the last game.
The likes of Kagiso Rabada, Chris Woakes and Avesh Khan form a strong, fast bowling unit at Delhi Capitals. Ravi Ashwin spearheads the spin bowling attack for DC and has a lot of experience on his side.
