The final leg of Indian Premier League 2020 starts with the first qualifier between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals in Dubai on Thursday. MI are four-time champions while DC have never won the tournament. Mumbai Indians finished No. 1 in the league standings while Delhi Capitals arrested their string of defeats to win their final game against Royal Challengers Bangalore and finish second. The winners of DC vs MI will go directly to the IPL final on November 10. The losing side will get another chance. (FIXTURES & RESULTS | NEWS)
The Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians IPL match can be seen live on TV as well as online. Live streaming of the match will start at 7.30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) and will be available on Star Sports' OTT channel, Disney+ Hotstar. You can watch live streaming on your smartphone or smart TV by downloading the Hotstar app. The match will also be available on Reliance Jio TV. Visit their website for more details. Check out Airtel for offers. Charges apply.
IPL matches are being broadcast live on the Star Sports network in India. Star Sports have the global rights for TV and online. IPL fans can watch DC vs MI live on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi and Star Sports 1 Hindi HD TV channels.
Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals have looked the two most balanced sides in IPL 2020. Although Mumbai Indians lost their last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad to give David Warner's team an easy passage to the IPL playoffs, Rohit Sharma's team is unlikely to show any indiscretion against Delhi Capitals in a must-win game for either team.
What makes Delhi Capitals such a dangerous side is their bowling attack. South African new ball bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje have hunted in pairs and are among the top 10 bowlers in this IPL. Rabada, especially, has been sensational with 25 wickets from 14 matches so far and his economy rate of 8.14 makes him dangerous upfront as well as in the death overs. Nortje - 19 wickets from 13 matches - has been good at getting breakthroughs and has a better economy rate of 7.96.
Comparing bowling attacks, Mumbai Indians have a better all-round attack with three bowlers in the top 10. Jasprit Bumrah - 23 wickets and with an economy of 6.96 - is No.2 on the wicket-taker's list but with left-arm seamer Trent Boult - 20 wickets - have formed a telling combination to torment the best of batting line-ups.
With both sides equipped with excellent bowling attacks, the batting will be under pressure. Rohit Sharma has returned after an injury layoff and will be under pressure to give the MI innings a rousing start.
All top five Mumbai batsmen have been among runs and that will give MI a bit of an edge. Delhi Capitals will bank on Shikhar Dhawan. The veteran left-hander has slammed back-to-back centuries and looked good with a 50 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their last league match. He will have to shoulder DC's batting responsibilities at Dubai on Thursday.
Mumbai Indians will start favourites given their current form. Delhi Capitals, who suffered four consecutive defeats before clinching a playoff spot, will have to believe in their competence and look the defending champions in the eye.