IPL 10, Match 45, DD v MI Preview: Qualification at stake for Delhi Daredevils against table toppers

The Delhi Daredevils registered a scintillating win over the Gujarat Lions to keep their playoffs hopes alive. With the thumping 7 wicket win over the Lions, the Daredevils now find themselves with 8 points and 4 games to play. If they go on to win all their remaining encounters, they will end up with 16 points – a qualification benchmark in the tournament history.

However, they are now up against the table toppers Mumbai Indians. Certainly, this will be their toughest roadblock on the journey. The only positive that the Daredevils could carry in this game is the fact of having the home advantage. They have been playing very well at the Feroze Shah Kotla this season and would want to extend their winning run at the venue.

The Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, have very little to worry about at the moment. They are almost guaranteed a place in the playoffs. A win here would confirm the same. The last time they had played against the Delhi team, they had successfully defended a total as low as 142 to win the game by 14 runs. Hence, they will surely be having their noses ahead going into the super Saturday clash.

Toss: DD won the toss and elected to field first

Playing XI:

Delhi Daredevils: Sanju Samson, Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant(w), Shreyas Iyer, Marlon Samuels, Corey Anderson, Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada, Zaheer Khan(c), Amit Mishra, Mohammed Shami

Mumbai Indians: Parthiv Patel(w), Lendl Simmons, Nitish Rana, Rohit Sharma(c), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga

Quotes from the toss:

Rohit Sharma: Looking at the last few games, the wicket played really well. There are chances of dew coming as well. Having said that looks like typical dry wicket. Yes, we are sitting pretty at the table. But we have got to come here and work like we have done so far. It is important to not think far ahead. Jos Buttler misses out, Lendl Simmons come in and Harbhajan Singh comes in place of Krunal Pandya.

Zaheer Khan: We are going to have a bowl first. It looks like a good wicket, should get better later. Just one change, Nadeem goes out and I come in. Morris is not hundred percent so we are going with this combination.

Focus will be on

Rishabh Pant

Delhi batsman Rishabh Pant came into the tournament riding on a big reputation of the next big thing in the Indian cricket circuit. He showed some glimpses of his prowess in brief spells in the early stages of the tournament. The best from the Delhi lad came in the previous game. He smashed a match-winning 97 off just 43 balls against the Gujarat Lions. With a knock as good as that, he has managed to catch the attention of many cricket pundits and fans.

Rohit Sharma

Mumbai Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has had a very ordinary season thus far by his standards. He is a perennial run getter in the Indian cricket circuit. He has 7 single digit scores to his name in the season thus far and that speaks volumes about the struggles he has had at the crease in the recent times. However, the stylish batsman will be coming into this game riding on an unbeaten fifty in the previous game. He would hope to back it up with another gusty show.

Karun Nair

Stand-in skipper Karun Nair has had a very ordinary season thus far for the Delhi Daredevils. He is yet to hit a fifty in the tournament. Coming into the game, he was expected to call the shots for the Daredevils since he was arguably the seniormost Indian batsman in the lineup. He showed some form in the match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad when he hit 39 at the top order. However, he failed to back it up with another start in the match that followed against the Gujarat Lions.

Team Combinations:

Delhi Daredevils

The Delhi Daredevils made a host of changes to their lineup in the previous match. Now that they have found the winning mantra going their way, expect the Daredevils to stick to the same playing eleven in the match. Sanju Samson and Karun Nair have been decent at the opening slot. The powerhouse in the middle-order boasts of the strikers like Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer.

Marlon Samuels played his first game for the Delhi camp in the previous game. However, he did not get his opportunity with the bat. He is likely to retain his place in the side. There is no update on Chris Morris and Zaheer Khan at the moment. As far as Zaheer is concerned, he is likely to miss out on the game due to the hamstring injury he picked up a couple of matches ago.

Mumbai Indians

The Mumbai Indians are certain to be playing predominantly the same team that played for them in their previous game against the Royal Challengers. Leg-spinner Karn Sharma could make way for Harbhajan Singh in the lineup. Parthiv Patel and Jos Buttler look set at the top order with both firing in the powerplays. Nitish Rana is the leading run-getter for the franchise this season and will the key player in the middle-order.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard make up the remaining part of the middle order. The Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal – have been reveling in the role of the finisher for the team this season and would be the proven all-rounders in the lineup. The pace brigade is certain to see the powerful trio of Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, and Lasith Malinga.

Stat Attack

1 – Zaheer needs 1 more wicket to complete 100 IPL wickets.

1 – Lasith Malinga needs 1 more wicket to complete 150 IPL wickets.

5  – Number of sixes needed by Rohit Sharma to overtake Suresh Raina (172) to come second in the list of most sixes hit in the IPL history.

26 – Number of runs needed by Sanju Samson to complete 400 runs this season.

167 – Krunal Pandya bats with the strike rate of 167 in the IPL – the second highest in the history of the tournament.