Mumbai Indians – Delhi Capitals clash today to decide fourth place in the playoffs of the 15th season of Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket.
Last-placed Mumbai are all set to return with a win. They have three wins and 10 losses from 13 games with six points. Today’s a life-and-death struggle for Delhi, who have 14 points from seven matches, including seven wins and six losses. If they beat Mumbai, Delhi will be fourth in the play-offs. If Delhi loses, Bangalore Royal Challengers will move up to fourth position. RCB prays for Mumbai’s victory Fans can be seen today at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai, who have won just three matches, are not sure if they will be able to block Delhi. Six times in the IPL. Champion Mumbai cannot be written off. The opening partnership between skipper Rohit Sharma and Ishant Kishan did well in all the final matches. There is no one in the team to make up for the absence of Suryakumar Yadav. The performances of Tilak Verma and Tim David will be crucial for Mumbai. In bowling, Daniel Sams and Jaspreet Bumra bowled well and the spinners faltered. Arjun, son of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, is all set to make his IPL debut.
Delhi veterans David Warner and Mitchell Marsh are expected to be in form. In the absence of Prithviraj Shah, Delhi may go ahead with Sarfraz Khan. When Mitchell Marsh was bowled at number three, Lalith Yadav and skipper Rishabh Pant might not do much. Rishabh’s dull form is also a problem. Despite being a great player, he did not live up to expectations in a single match.
Finisher Rowman Powell’s performance in the finals is also not disappointing. The performance of Antich Nordia and Khalil Ahmed in the pace line-up has improved. If spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Akshar Patel shine, victory will be in Delhi’s favor. If Warner and Marsh return early, the team will be in crisis. If Rohit and Ishan attack from the start, Delhi’s play-off hopes will end.
Delhi also faces the big challenge of overcoming Bumra. The two teams are more or less the same in direct numbers. Mumbai have won 16 times and Delhi 15 times in 31 encounters. Delhi beat Mumbai by four wickets in the first quarter. Bangalore Royal Challengers Bangalore beat the Titans by eight wickets to activate their play-off chances. Batting first, Gujarat scored 168 for five. In reply, Royal Challengers won the toss and elected to field with eight balls to spare. With the victory, RCB He finished fourth with 16 points from 14 games. Glenn Maxwell (40 not out off 18 balls with two sixes and five fours), openers Virat Kohli (73 off 54 balls with two sixes and eight fours) and skipper Faf du Plessis (44 off 38 balls) were the top scorers. Captain Hardik Pandya (62 not out off 47 balls, including three sixes and four fours) led Gujarat to a comfortable total. David Miller (34 off 25 balls), opener and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (31 off 22 balls, 31 fours and four fours) and Rashid Khan (19 off six balls, 19 not out off four fours) were the other notable contributors.
