IPL 2021 | MI vs DC: Under Pressure Mumbai take the field against assertive Delhi
An under pressure Mumbai Indians side will be locking horns with an impressive Delhi Capitals in Sharjah in the first match of the double-header day on October 2, 2021. While MI would be looking to continue the momentum that they got against Punjab Kings in the last match and remain alive in the playoffs race, DC would seek to cement a place in the final four. The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai side will be coming into this match on the back of a win against PBKS after they chased down a target of 136 with one over to spare. All-rounder Hardik Pandya who had a struggling time was back among runs as he struck an unbeaten 40 off 30 deliveries to see his side home. Hardik’s brother Krunal too looked in good touch with the ball after the left-hander returned with figures of 1/24 in 4 overs. Apart from these two, all-rounder Kieron Pollard chipped in with some good performance with the ball first up and then played a cameo of a 7-ball 15*. The one positive that came for Mi in this clash was the positive performances from their all-rounders, something on which the Mumbai team generally fancy their chances. Though Hardik didn’t bowl, he was handy enough with the willow. On the other hand, the encounter between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders became an eventful one. Off-spinner R Ashwin was involved in a heated argument with KKR captain Eoin Morgan and pacer Tim Southee. The right-handed cricketer faced some backlash for the same on social media to which Ashwin said that he “took a stand for himself”. Well, keeping the controversies aside, the Delhi team struggled with the bat and failed to put up a competitive total against a pretty formidable KKR side. The Capitals’ bowlers did give a fight but the runs on the scoresheet were never enough to give them a positive result. Pacer Avesh Khan returned with figures of 3/13 in three overs. Talking about the previous fixture between the two sides in this edition, DC etched a comfortable win by 6 wickets in 19.1 overs after chasing down 138 in Chennai. Barring Rohit Sharma, the MI batsmen struggled to get any runs on the board while spinner Amit Mishra capitalise on the conditions perfectly and bagged a four-for during the course. Match Details: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, Match 46 Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah Date & Time: October 2nd at 3:30 PM IST, and at 2:00 PM local time Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar Pitch Report The track in Sharjah hasn’t really seen very high scoring encounters in the competition and it is expected to behave in the same manner. The bowlers might get some assistance while the batters will need to get their eye in before going for big shots. Both the sides comprise of a batting unit who can be lethal once they are settled in. So, if you win the toss, elect to field first. MI’s strength back in groove Mumbai Indians would be relieved after the way Krunal Pandya, Hardik and Pollard fared in the last match. While Krunal bowled an economical spell, Hardik was among the runs and Pollard produced an all-round show. Though Mumbai are not in a hurry to make Hardik bowl, his services with the bat are enough to keep the side in the hunt. DC bank on bowling unit The Delhi Capitals’ bowlers put in a lot of effort in the last encounter despite the batters failing to put up a competitive total on the board. While the fast bowlers have been lethal and picked up wickets consistently, the spinners too have been pretty effective. Team News Mumbai Indians: Mumbai Indians have roped in Simarjeet Singh in place of injured Arjun Tendulkar. Simarjeet started training with the side after completing the mandatory quarantine. Delhi Capitals: The Delhi Capitals are missing the services of opener Prithvi Shaw and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis due to fitness issues. However, fielding coach Mohammad Raif has insisted that the two players are “getting better”. “They both are getting better,” Kaif said about Stoinis and Shaw in a virtual press conference. “In fact, Shaw had a hit in the nets yesterday. Stoinis started to run a bit. We will be taking a call on Shaw tomorrow ahead of the game. For Stoinis, there is still probably a few matches to go from here on,” he added. Probable XI MI: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah DC: Prithvi Shaw/Lalit Yadav, Shikhar Dhawan, Steve Smith, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan Fantasy XI Quinton de Kock, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma (c), Steve Smith, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (vc), Axar Patel, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Anrich Nortje