The 1st qualifier of the Dream 11 IPL will see the Mumbai Indians taking on the Delhi Capitals in Dubai. Rohit Sharma returned to lead the MI and will look to play a captains knock this game. Shreyas Iyer too hasn’t fired like he would have hoped for DC in this IPL. So this is the best possible game for both the captain’s to play a significant knock. Mumbai Indians have won their league game against the Delhi Capitals rather comfortably.
MI may have lost their final league game against SRH by 10 wickets but they rested some of their front line players in that game. So it won’t affect their confidence coming in the 1st Qualifier and they start as favorites in today’s game. Their batsmen Quinton De Kock, Ishan Kishan, and Surya Kumar Yadav are among the top run-getter in this IPL while the bowling combo Bumrah-Boult are among the highest wicket-takers.
DC finally broke their losing streak with a win against RCB and booked themselves a place in the top 2. Delhi’s bowlers finally came to the party restricting the RCB batters to just 152 in a crucial. The good came out of the match is that Rabada is back among wickets and Nortje again was at his lethal best. Shikhar Dhawan and Rahane scored the fifties each as the Capitals achieved the target without much fuss. These are some of the good signs for DC coming into the game.
Key Players
Batsman – Quinton De Kock, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Shreyas Iyer.
Quinton De Kock(443 runs) has been the most consistent batsman for MI and is their highest run-scorer this season. He will once again be a threat to the opposition in this important game and MI will bank on him to provide good starts. Rohit Sharma has just returned post-injury and will look to show a good account of how dangerous he is with the bat after a quiet tournament. Shreyas Iyer has been scoring consistently but not as free-flowing as we used to see him in the past, but come this game he may play a captain’s knock. Shikhar Dhawan finally found some form after a couple of low scores and is the highest run-getter for the Capitals so far with 525 runs.
All Rounder- Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Marcus Stoinis, and Axar Patel.
Axar Patel has been bowling well in different phases of the innings and has been handy with the bat as well. He came back strongly last game with some bowling and will be a crucial bowler for DC in this game. Krunal Pandya has had a mediocre IPL compared to the other MI players and will want to step up. Kieron Pollard is one of the best strikers of the ball and in a big match such as this, he will mightily useful player for the Mumbai Indians. He finally got some hit out in the middle and his batting form will be crucial. A couple of match-winning knocks in the early part of the tournament and few wickets here & there has been the case of Stoinis so far and has not played consistently. He has failed in the last few games and DC will want him to do well.
Bowlers – Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Anrich Nortje has been a consistent performer for DC and even won the man of the match for his efforts last game. So he will be in a good frame of mind coming to this game. Jasprit Bumrah has come back to the rhythm which is good not only for MI but also for India. He is in line to be a possible winner of the purple cap with 23 wickets this season. If it’s Bumrah for MI, Rabada has been doing the same job for DC and is the current purple cap holder in this IPL. A good outing for both these bowlers for their respective sides will help their team’s cause. Boult has played a great supporting role for MI this season and he will want to impress against his former franchise. These 4 bowlers have taken 87 wickets among them so far in this IPL.
Battles to look forward
- Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje vs Quinton De Kock and Rohit Sharma
- Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah vs Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer
The contest between the opening bowlers of DC Rabada and Nortje against the opening batsman of MI, De Kock, and Rohit Sharma will be crucial. Whoever wins this battle will have a great chance to boss the game. Similarly, the battle between the Bumrah-Boult combo against Dhawan and Iyer will be key. So the opening bowlers’ performance for both sides will be essential in this game. The team which picks ost wickets in the powerplays might have an upper hand.
Head to Head between MI and DC.
- Matches Played: 26
- DC Won: 12
- MI won: 14
Significant Approaching Milestones.
42- Surya Kumar Yadav needs 42 more runs to score 2000 IPL runs.
14- Krunal Pandya needs 14 more runs to score 1000 IPL runs.
69- Ajinkya Rahane requires further 69 runs to score 4000 career IPL runs.
Match conditions
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.
Date & Timings: November 4, 2020, at 7.30 PM IST.
Weather: Clear with the temperature around 29 C.
Pitch: Likely to be a slow surface with possible due later on.
