The Indian Premier League (IPL) have stepped on to its 12th edition, and it is imperative to get a good start in this kind of tournaments. Thus, three times champion Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils will be keen to set their priorities right when they clash at the Wankhede Stadium on March 24 (Sunday).
Mumbai, like always, will go into the cash-rich league as the favourites. They have Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah – world-class T20 players in their ranks. In addition, they have the likes of Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Keiron Pollard in the line-up which adds balance to the squad. The likes of Quinton de Kock and veteran Yuvraj Singh will also add dynamics to the team. De Kock has been in outstanding form lately and will open the innings with skipper Rohit Sharma.
On the other hand, Delhi Capitals have changed their name in a bid to turn their fortunes. They managed to qualify for the playoffs in the first three of the five seasons but since then have failed miserably. However, to makeshift their luck, the franchise have roped in local boy Shikhar Dhawan. The batting looks good with Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant in the middle. The side coached by Ricky Ponting also boast some quality pacers and will hope to strike a balance as early as possible in the tournament.
Date & Venue: March 24 (Sunday) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Predicted XI:
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuvraj Singh, Keiron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mayank Markande, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah
Delhi Capitals: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hanuma Vihari, Colin Ingram, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, Amit Mishra, Sandeep Lamichhane
Head to Head:
| Matches | Mumbai Indians | Delhi Capitals |
| 22 | 11 | 11 |
Statistical Preview:
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Rohit Sharma will play his 300th T20 match. After MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma will be the third Indian to play 300 or more T20 games.
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Rohit Sharma (4,493 runs) is seven runs away to complete his 4,500 IPL runs. He will be the third batsman to score 4,500 IPL runs.
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Rohit Sharma (701 runs) needs to score 61 more runs to become the leading IPL run-scorer against the Delhi franchise. Virat Kohli is leading the table with 761 IPL runs against the Delhi franchise.
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Leg-spinner Amit Mishra (146 wickets) is four wickets away to complete his 150 IPL wickets. Only Lasith Malinga (154 wickets) has picked up 150+ IPL wickets till the date.
Weather Conditions:
The temperature will hover around 30 degrees Celsius making it ideal for an intense game of cricket. There will be a fair bit of breeze going around the stadium during the game time providing some swing to the fast bowlers. Meanwhile, there are no chances of rain – much to the joy of the spectators.
Pitch Conditions:
Wankhede wicket, over the years, has been a happy hunting ground for the batsmen. The flat strip with a small field makes it harder for the bowlers. The season’s first game, in all likelihood, is to produce a similar wicket and a run fest is on the cards.
Where to Watch:
Like always, Hotstar is going to be the official online streaming partner for the Indian Premier League. All the matches are going to be available, and you can watch all of them free of cost, but with a 5-10 minute delay.
If you are a Reliance Jio subscriber, you can watch all the IPL 2019 matches via the JioTV app on your smartphone without any extra charge.
In case you don’t want to watch the IPL online, then you can stick to the traditional television channels. The league will broadcast on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Sports 3 and Star Sport 3HD.
Match Prediction:
So far both Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals are on level terms with both sides winning 11 matches each. However, the hosts have the upper hand when the games are played in the Wankhede Stadium.
Meanwhile, going as per the teams in the paper, Mumbai have a more settled squad as they managed to retain their core group. On the other hand, Delhi are a young side who will aim to start the tournament on a high after finishing at the last of the points table.
As a result, one can expect an exciting clash, but Mumbai Indians is likely to have the last laugh in the game.