IPL 2020 LIVE SCORE, DC vs MI Match: Mumbai opt to bowl, Shaw returns for Delhi

IPL 2020 LIVE SCORE, Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians latest updates: It was pretty smooth sailing for Delhi Capitals at the beginning of the tournament but they now find themselves in a spot of bother. The Shreyas Iyer-led side has lost their last three matches though they still need just one win to qualify for the playoffs. Today they will up against table-toppers Mumbai Indians who have already qualified for the playoffs but could finish outside the top two in the league table if they lose their remaining two matches.

Preview: Delhi Capitals lock horns with Mumbai Indians in the 51st match of the Indian Premier League at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

At one point in time, Delhi Capitals were cruising and looked a formidable side who had the perfect balance and the one to beat. Now, the tables have turned. They are struggling to get a win on the board and have lost their last three matches.

Their batting has let them down big time. Their last two totals read – 131 all out and 135/9. Their problems have continued. One of the openers hasn’t clicked. Ajinkya Rahane has flopped, while Prithvi Shaw has lost his touch.

The rest of the batting order too needs to step up. Marcus Stoinis has gone cold, Hetmyer has been inconsistent. Rishabh Pant hasn’t found the perfect balance between defence and attack.

Head coach Ricky Ponting admitted that chasing is a concern and DC need to hit the reset button.

“It’s been a concern. When we decide to bowl first, we’ve given away big totals. We have to get better at that, we need to be better at bowling first and at chasing totals because so far, it hasn’t worked for us,” said Ponting after the match in the post-match conference.

“We had a rough idea from the start of the game on how many points one might need to qualify. We got to seven wins quite quickly, and now lost three in a row. We have to reset right now,” Ponting added.

The bowling too needs improvement. R Ashwin hasn’t found his rhythm in the last two matches while Tushar Deshpande has gone for plenty.

DC need to get their mojo back quickly. They play the top two sides in their last two fixtures and it could be tough. They are still not in a do or die situation but you never know what can happen in this unpredictable tournament.

Mumbai, on the other hand, have become the first team to qualify for the playoffs, thanks to CSK’s win over KKR on Thursday. They would like to strengthen their position at the top of the table and their chances of ending in the top two.

After the thumping loss to Rajasthan Royals, they would have gained a lot of confidence in the way they chased down 165 against RCB in their last match. Suryakumar Yadav was the man of the moment and with the form he is in, he will again be a big threat for the DC bowlers. There is still uncertainty about Rohit Sharma’s participation and in his absence, Kieron Pollard will continue to lead the side. Pollard has impressed with his leadership.

The MI bowlers bowled well in the middle overs and the death against RCB, they would look to improve on their powerplay bowling. Trent Boult has gone for runs in the last couple of matches and would look to get back to his best as soon as possible.

When these two teams met earlier in the tournament, Mumbai beat DC easily by five wickets with Quinton de Kock and Yadav scoring half-centuries to chase down 163.

Mumbai Indians would look for consistency and momentum ahead of the playoffs. We can expect a cracker.

Mumbai Indians full squad: Rohit Sharma, Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Mohsin Khan, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Digvijay Deshmukh, Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Anukul Roy, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, Aditya Tare, James Pattinson

Delhi Capitals full squad: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Daniel Sams, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kagiso Rabada, Keemo Paul, Mohit Sharma, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, R Ashwin, Marcus Stoinis, Anrich Nortje, Rishabh Pant, Alex Carey, Shimron Hetmyer, Tushar Deshpande.

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