By Last time these two met in IPL 2024, it was wild. Romario Shepherd went nuts with 39 runs off just 10 balls—including a crazy 32 runs in one over off Anrich Nortje—as Mumbai put up a massive 234 for 5. Tristan Stubbs also smashed a rapid 71 off 25, but it was too little too late, and DC ended up short at 205. It was too much for the punters who placed their bets on Lotus365.
Team Updates & Key Players
Delhi Capitals
- Delhi Capitals: They’re feeling the pinch without David Warner, who’s out with a finger injury, and Ishant Sharma’s also sitting this one out. On the upside, they’ve got Gulbadin Naib ready to step in after swapping out Mitchell Marsh.
- Last game, Rasikh Salam came off the bench for Prithvi Shaw and made a splash, so expect to see him again. If the pitch is spinner-friendly, Lalit Yadav might also get a look for his offspin and handy batting. Nortje’s been leaking runs like crazy (economy 13.36), so Jhye Richardson might get a nod this time around.
- Probable Delhi Line-Up: Prithvi Shaw, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje/Jhye Richardson, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Rasikh Salam
Mumbai Indians
- Mumbai Indians: Suryakumar Yadav is looking like the man to watch as Mumbai’s Impact Player. They rolled with three international players last game, but after Shepherd’s explosive performance, he might just earn a starting spot.
- Probable Mumbai Line-Up: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara/Romario Shepherd
Both teams are shaping up interestingly for this clash, and with these line-ups, we’re in for some serious cricket action!
Spotlight on Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya
Kuldeep Yadav’s been tearing it up this season. He’s snagged 12 wickets with a tidy economy rate of 7.54, just a whisker away from snatching the Purple Cap. But here’s the kicker: he’s taken 11 of those wickets during the middle overs, tying for the most in that phase this season, and he’s kept his economy super tight at just 6.40 then. Given that MI’s middle order hasn’t exactly been rock solid, Kuldeep might just pile on a few more wickets to his impressive tally.
On the flip side, Hardik Pandya hasn’t quite found his groove. Eight innings down in IPL 2024, and he’s only mustered 151 runs at an average of 21.57 and a strike rate of 142.25. With the ball, it’s been a rough ride too, bagging just four wickets with an economy leaking at 10.94.
There’s also been heaps of chatter about when he’s stepping up to bat. Last game, he walked in after Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera put up a solid 99-run stand and then kind of stalled the momentum, scoring a run-a-ball 10 while a hitter like Tim David was left cooling his heels. Hardik really needs a breakout performance soon to boost his confidence.
Pitch and Play Conditions
It’s been a run fest out in Delhi with bats flooding runs left, right, and center. We’ve seen 57 sixes smashed in just two games here, and teams have cracked the 200-mark three times out of four innings, with the lowest score being 199. Those shorter square boundaries might just see big hitters like Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David, and Jake Fraser-McGurk stealing the show again in what’s expected to be another high-scoring game. This will be the first daytime match in Delhi this season, which might help the spinners a bit.
And yeah, brace yourself—it’s going to be a scorcher with temperatures hitting around 38°C. Betting on Lotus365 ID is also going to be very heated during the match.
