Battle of equals — that is how Sunday’s super clash between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians has been billed. Besides points, the winning team will also claim the bragging rights of being the strongest side in the group league of IPL 2020.
In terms of consistency and strong, all-round performances, Capitals and Mumbai Indians have almost matched each other so far this IPL season, with the former having their nose ahead with a win more than their rivals. Capitals have won five out of six to Mumbai Indians’ four.
The Capitals will enjoy a slight advantage because of their impressive bowling attack. Kagiso Rabada has bowled fast and taken wickets, Anrich Nortje has been consistent and even all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been among wickets. Not just their pacers, in Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, the Capitals have two crafty spinners.
Having said that, the Mumbai Indians are certainly no pushovers in the bowling department, not when you have Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, James Pattinson and an ambitious, young spinner Rahul Chahar in your team.
The Mumbai side have an edge in the batting department though, with captain Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav and the dangerous duo of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard powering them.
Ben Stokes Twitter/@rajasthanroyals
Up to Stokes now
In Dubai, in the first match of the day, the bruised and battered Rajasthan Royals, led by Steve Smith, will look up to the Ben Stokes balm when they take on David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The Royals have lost four on the trot. Star all-rounder Stokes’s quarantine ended on Saturday and he is expected to play the game. He has been out of practice for quite some time, as he was with his ailing father in New Zealand, but the Royals can hardly wait any longer. Time is running out for them.
Today’s matches
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, Dubai (3.30pm IST)
Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, Abu Dhabi (7.30pm IST)