Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer.
Mumbai Indians (MI), Rohit Sharma's brigade, in pursuit of fifth IPL trophy, will battle an optimistic Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi Capitals (DC) in the summit clash of IPL 2020. After over seven weeks of action, the world will finally witness one team establishing dominance in the final clash and lifting the coveted trophy at Dubai International Stadium.
The most successful IPL franchise -- Mumbai Indians -- will be eyeing to add another silverware to their trophy cabinet. Capitals, on the other hand, will aim to script something unbelievable in their first-ever IPL final. Surprisingly, the Delhi side didn't manage to book a final berth in the past 12 seasons.
The Mumbai contingent, on the other hand, will be brimmed with confidence while playing their fifth IPL final. The Mumbai franchise holds an impressive record in the finals, having lost just one summit clash so far. To make it even better for MI fans, skipper Rohit has never lost an IPL final. With their robust squad and experience, MI will hope to lift their fifth IPL trophy in a peculiar coronavirus-afflicted season.
MI also have emerged as a brute force this season. On their way to the final, they've registered 10 wins in 15 games, proving why they're sitting at the top with four IPL trophies to flaunt. The Delhi side, on the other hand, had a few hiccups, especially at the latter stage of the tournament. DC suffered four defeats on the trot before their last league-stage fixture against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). But they managed to achieve a top-two finish by edging past RCB in the crucial encounter.
In Qualifier 1 against MI, Capitals, however, suffered a batting debacle, losing their first three wickets in eight deliveries. Delhi will look to redeem itself with the Marcus Stoinis-Shikhar Dhawan duo at the top. The fresh opening pair looked in sublime touch as DC outclassed RCB in the Eliminator tie to book a place in their maiden IPL final. Skipper Iyer will also hope to fly higher in this pivotal clash. But against the Jasprit Bumrah-Trent Boult duo, the task won't be an easy one for DC's batting unit.
Head to Head: MI have defeated DC in all three encounters this season. The Mumbai Indians lead the Delhi Capitals 15-12 in the head-to-head record. Moreover, the head-to-head record in the UAE and playoffs also is in favour of Rohit Sharma's troops.
Crucial stats:
- Despite failing to deliver in Qualifier 1, skipper Rohit has got an impressive record against the Delhi outfit. He has scored 565 runs in MI vs DC battles. This will also be Rohit Sharma's 200th IPL game and he also needs just 8 runs to complete 4000 runs for MI.
- Jasprit Bumrah, currently sitting second in the Purple Cap race, has scalped 18 wickets in MI-DC encounters. In this season, he has Bumrah has scalped 27 wickets including best figures of 4/14.
- Complementing Bumrah, Trent Boult has also taken 22 wickets in 14 games and is currently sitting third in the Purple Cap race.
- Shikhar Dhawan has scored majestic knocks this season, including two consecutive hundreds. The left-hander will be expected to step up in the summit clash too. He is currently sitting second in the list of leading run-scorers, having gathered 603 runs so far.
- Kagiso Rabada has been phenomenal for the Delhi side. In 16 games, he has scalped 29 wickets and is currently on top of the list of leading wicket-takers this season.
- In 15 games, Quinton de Kock has gathered 483 including four half-centuries. He'll be expected to deliver at the top along with skipper Rohit.
- In 13 games, Ishan Kishan has scored 483 runs including a whirlwind 99-run knock against RCB. The youngster has been the standout performer for the Mumbai franchise this year.
- Along with Dhawan, captain Shreyas Iyer has also delivered a few impressive performances. In 16 games, he has scored 454 runs including two half-centuries. He'll be hoping to cross the 500-run mark in this vital game.
