We preview the Indian Premier League clash which will see the Delhi Daredevils take on the Mumbai Indians on Sunday evening.
Sunday brings a final round-robin fixture for each of the four teams. One has already been ruled out of contention for a play-off berth, while the other three remain in contention.
Victory for Delhi won’t lift them from the bottom of the eight-team table, but will at least ensure this season’s tally of defeats doesn’t reach double figures, while Mumbai’s title defence is still on track.
Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians | Sunday 20 May | Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi | 12:30
To Win Match
Delhi Daredevils 31/20
Tie 35/1
Mumbai Indians 53/100
Delhi Daredevils
The Daredevils were convincing in victory over the Super Kings earlier this week, but it’s still a case of too little, too late for the beleaguered franchise. The signs were there when Gautam Gambhir quit, but they haven’t managed to turn things around under new captain Shreyas Iyer. Australian recruit Glenn Maxwell hasn’t delivered enough on cue either – here’s the last chance to do so.
The batting achievements of Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant, who are just 51 years old collectively, have not gone unnoticed. They are the face of the future for Indian cricket – and can already start building toward next year’s IPL campaign during this closing fixture against the defending champions.
Mumbai Indians
The title holders don’t have a great record against Delhi. Since 2014, in fact, they’ve only beaten them five times in nine attempts. Earlier this tournament, Delhi won an absolute humdinger at the Wankhede Stadium, where brothers Hardik and Krunal Pandya ultimately folded under the pressure of Pant, Iyer and company’s onslaught.
An attempt to widen the scales and achieve revenge, then, beckons. This will be a real crunch clash, which they must win to avoid the advances of three other teams below them in the table also vying to finish on 14 points. Mumbai currently have a superior net run-rate to all three – and need to be mindful of retaining and bettering it to survive for the play-offs.
Verdict: Mumbai Indians 53/100
Delhi upset the defending champs earlier in the tournament and the Super Kings on Friday, but a third surprise would be a bridge too far, leaving Mumbai in the reckoning.
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