Defending champions Mumbai Indians take on Delhi Capitals in Qualifier-I of the playoffs of Indian Premier League 2020 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. Here's a SWOT analysis of the two teams.
The SWOT for MI
Strengths: The pace bowling trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and James Pattinson should reunite for this match. The three bowlers have collectively picked 54 wickets. They have been backed by Rahul Chahar who has 15 wickets to his name. Kieron Pollard too bowls occasional quiet overs to choke the run flow.
Weaknesses: Four of MI’s five losses in the league phase have come while defending. Also, MI have lost both the tied matches in the Super Over, of which they have been part. With dew becoming a factor during the previous two weeks of the league, DC should be hoping that the toss goes in their favour and they chase.
Opportunities: A win will see that defending Champions go through and play second successive final. The win will further enhance their reputation as the strongest team in the league.
Threats: Although, Rohit Sharma is back following a hamstring issue the team should be careful about his fitness.
The SWOT for DC
Strengths: They have a bowling attack that can rattle any opposition. The South African pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje have together got 43 wickets. Daniel Sams has joined the pacers in recent matches. He has not yet got a wicket but has bowled tight overs. R Ashwin and Axar Patel have also bowled well together and supported the rest of the attack.
Weaknesses: The batting order continues to be weak and is prone to cracking under pressure. Captain Shreyas Iyer needs to lead from the front as Shikhar Dhawan is the only batsman in form. Slotting Ajinkya Rahane in at no. 3 did lend some stability to that top order in the last match. Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant have been unreliable so far. And Shimron Hetmyer was dropped following a poor run.
Opportunities: They've never played in an IPL final. A win today will see them enter their first-ever summit clash. Though they've been off-colour in the last phase of the league matches, they're still a very strong side. They just need to find that something extra that will take them through.
Threats: They should not get overwhelmed by the semi-final match. Iyer should inspire them to play with freedom without worrying about the result.
Head to head:
Matches played: 26
Mumbai Indians: 14
Delhi Capitals: 12
Last five matches (most recent first):
Mumbai Indians: L-W-W-L-W
Delhi Capitals: W-L-L-L-L
What happened in their league phase clashes?
MI triumphed over DC in both the matches.
Deccan Herald’s Dream XI
Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Kieron Pollard, R Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Jasprit Bumrah
Team news
No injury updates received from either team.
Ground conditions
The sky will be hazy with the temperature around 27 degrees Celsius. The humidity will be about 59% with a gentle breeze.
Impact player for DC
Kagiso Rabada: The speedster is back on the top of the Purple Cap list with 25 wickets at an average of 17.8. Rabada needs to be at his best to tackle the strong MI batting line-up. DC desperately need him to do well as he is known for getting wickets at any stage of the innings.
Impact player for MI
Quinton de Kock: He is crucial in providing strong starts to the batting innings. De Kock also has the most runs and most fifties for MI this season. With Rohit Sharma struggling for consistency and returning from injury, the importance of de Kock at the top cannot be overstated.
How to watch
The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network. Viewers can also catch the action online on Disney+Hotstar. The match begins at 7.30 PM IST.