Ishant Sharma, Delhi Capitals pacer is fit to play in the remainder of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.
In what comes as a huge boost for the previous season’s runners-up Delhi Capitals ahead of the game against defending champions Mumbai Indians, pacer Ishant Sharma has been cleared to play in the remainder of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League.
Ishant Sharma Was Struggling With A Heel Niggle But Is Fit Now
Speaking to ANI, sources in the DC camp said that while Ishant Sharma was struggling with a heel niggle, he is now fit and ready to take the field.
“He was struggling with a heel niggle, but he is good to go now. Had to take it slow and easy as we have a long road ahead of us and he is an integral part of the bowling attack,” the source explained.
While Delhi has been impressive with two wins from three games, the fast bowlers haven’t been in top form with both Kagiso Rabada and Lukman Meriwala proving to be expensive in the last game against Punjab Kings.
In fact, Avesh Khan has been the only pacer who has impressed with his variations in all the games so far. And going into the game against defending champions Mumbai Indians, the DC unit will be happy to have Ishant Sharma available to play.
Ishant Sharma had played only 1 IPL match in 2020 after which he was sidelined with injury before recovering and playing against England in Tests after missing the Australia tour.
Shikhar Dhawan: Mumbai Indians Know Conditions In Chennai Well Having Played A Few Games There
Coming to the MI encounter, DC opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan reckons that the challenge for his side would be to switch on mentally on the Chennai wicket. Delhi Capitals has played all its three games at Wankhede Stadium and the side would now play its next two games at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
“MI has played 2-3 three over there before so they know the conditions, for us the challenge will be to switch on mentally according to the wicket and prepare our plan and just go and implement it and play with a positive mindset, aggression and look to win the game,” said Dhawan in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of Delhi Capitals.
The Delhi Capitals qualified for the finals first time in IPL 2020 after twelve years of the start of this tournament and qualified for the IPL playoffs in 2019 for the first time in seven years.
While Delhi Capitals came into the match after beating Punjab Kings by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai has recorded back-to-back victories by defending low totals in Chennai, something a formidable opponent like DC may not offer.
For Delhi Capitals, the biggest positive has been the form of Shikhar Dhawan, who is the leading scorer so far in the tournament with 186 runs. Shikhar Dhawan and young Prithvi Shaw form a lethal opening combination, but the Mumbaikar needs to convert his starts into big scores.
Their pace attack is led by South African Kagiso Rabada and Chris Woakes, and the two have been impressive so far. They have an additional option in Anrich Nortje, who has also joined the squad.
Delhi played four pacers in the game against Punjab, but in Chennai, they could play more spinners as the track is conducive for the slower bowlers. They have options in the experienced Amit Mishra, Pravin Dubey, and new recruit Shams Mulani, who can complement Ravichandran Ashwin.
Mumbai Indians Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, James Neesham, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
Delhi Capitals Predicted XI: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Steve Smith, Rishabh Pant (c&wk), Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Chris Woakes, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra