Faf du Plessis has taken the helm for Delhi Capitals as captain today, stepping in for Axar Patel who is sidelined with a severe flu. At the toss, du Plessis confirmed Patel’s condition, stating, “Unfortunate for him, really sick the last two days. Bad flu. We wish him all the best. Will definitely miss him today.” In Patel’s absence, Madhav Tiwari, a promising allrounder from Madhya Pradesh, and Mukesh Kumar have been drafted into the side, replacing T Natarajan and Axar himself. Interestingly, Tiwari will be making his debut, given that DC’s previous match against Punjab Kings was abandoned.
This match bears significant weight for Delhi Capitals; a defeat means the end of their playoff ambitions. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians need a victory to secure their spot in the playoffs. Hardik Pandya, MI’s captain, admitted that he would have preferred to bowl first as well. The batting order sees Mitchell Santner coming in for Corbin Bosch and a decision pending between Ashwani Kumar and Karn Sharma regarding their playing spot.
With KL Rahul, renowned but recuperating from a knee injury sustained during training, positioned as an Impact Player on the DC bench, there remains a strategic element to possibly include him in the second innings.
The Wankhede Stadium has witnessed some exciting chases this season, with an average first innings total being 174 for 7. Historically this season, teams batting second have emerged victorious four times out of six, setting the stage for a potentially engaging second half.
Squad line-ups are as follows: for Mumbai Indians, the team comprises Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, N Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (captain), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, and the unstoppable Jasprit Bumrah, whom many regard as the quintessential T20 bowler. On MI’s bench are Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Karn Sharma, Raj Bawa, and Satyanarayana Raju.
Delhi Capitals field Faf du Plessis (captain), Abishek Porel (wk), Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, and Mukesh Kumar, with their Impact Players’ bench comprising KL Rahul, Sediqullah Atal, Karun Nair, Tripurana Vijay, and Manvanth Kumar.
With the stakes high for both teams, cricket fans can anticipate a gripping contest as the night unfolds.
