The 12th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to hit the country later today when Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore fight it out in the tournament opener which is slated to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Three-time champions Mumbai Indians will start their campaign against Delhi Capitals tomorrow at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Mumbai had a relatively offseason last year as they failed to progress through to the playoffs. They made a horrible start to their campaign and were staring at elimination after only 9-10 matches. However, a fighting comeback changed everything for Mumbai as they were just a win away from their last game to make it through to the playoffs. However, it was Delhi Daredevils back then who won a close encounter and knocked out Mumbai from the tournament.
There is no doubt about the fact that Mumbai Indians is one of the favourites of the tournament and knows how to win big moments. They should look to come back stronger and win their 4th title in their history. They have a very strong unit like previous years but their core remains the same. Lasith Malinga who was a mentor last year for Mumbai Indians is back as their spearhead and is expected to lead the pace attack.
Apart from the senior players, there are some of the young brigades like Mayank Markande, Ishan Kishan and the Pandya brother who has the potential to change the game with both bat and ball within a matter of overs. Meanwhile, the Delhi Dynamos who were previously Delhi Daredevils has been the perennial underachievers of the tournament. They are the only franchise from the initial lot who has not qualified for the final ever.
They have some sensational players in their ranks like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan who can deposit any bowling attack to the cleaners. The inclusion of Dhawan at the top of the order will be an important inclusion for Delhi. He has been one of the premier run scorers for India and Sunrisers Hyderabad and will look to carry his form in the IPL.
Meanwhile, Delhi also has an able leg spinner in the form of Sandeep Lamichaane who can be an X factor for Delhi. They have a promising team but will definitely look to make it a memorable tourney for them. They have never made it to the final but after changing their name, Delhi would love to change their fortunes.
Date and Venue:
The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Pitch report
Mumbai has always been a high scoring venue in the past and it shouldn’t be any different to the previous clashes. The team winning the toss might prefer chasing as Wankhede has been a productive chasing ground in the past. Dew should;t be a factor in Mumbai and it is expected to be a humdinger.
Weather report:
The temperature in Mumbai is expected to hover around 26 to 35-degree Celsius. It is expected to be humid. but given it’s a night match condition should be cool towards the later stages of the match.
Match Prediction:
There is no doubt about the fact that Mumbai Indians will start as favourites for tomorrow’s IPL clash. They are a strong unit and should look to begin with a win. They are known as slow starters. However, they would definitely look to change the trend and start of with a victory. Hence I will back Mumbai Indians to win tomorrow’s clash.