IPL 2024, DC vs MI Preview: Playoff race heats up as confident Delhi Capitals face struggling Mumbai Indians

Empowered by Rishabh Pant's stellar batting and inspirational captaincy, the revived Delhi Capitals set their sights on further ascent in the IPL 2024 standings as they clash with the erratic Mumbai Indians in New Delhi on Saturday.

Navigating through ups and downs this season, the Capitals have showcased moments of brilliance alongside humbling setbacks. Yet, a recent surge with three victories in their last four outings has propelled them to sixth place, amplifying their playoff aspirations, which a triumph over MI could solidify.

Contrastingly, after stumbling early on, MI staged a recovery with three wins in four matches, only to be halted by a comprehensive defeat to Rajasthan Royals. Languishing at eighth in the points table, they confront the urgency to reverse their fortunes.

Also read: IPL 2024: 'Aaj batting tera Jassi bhai karega!' MI's Jasprit Bumrah shows off skills ahead of DC clash (WATCH)

Undoubtedly, Rishabh Pant's resurgence stands as DC's prime asset, demonstrating prowess both with the bat and as a leader. His commanding unbeaten innings against Gujarat Titans underscores his pivotal role in steering the team's fortunes.

It seems likely that the left-handed batsman is poised for a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad, despite facing tough competition from contenders like Sanju Samson, Dinesh Karthik, and Ishan Kishan.

For DC, Jack Fraser-McGurk has emerged as a reliable top-order batsman, adept at exploiting the powerplay, while Prithvi Shaw, primarily tasked with batting, needs to deliver more consistently, especially given his role as an Impact Substitute.

David Warner's absence in the previous match saw Shai Hope stepping in, but he failed to capitalize on the opportunity, potentially paving the way for the return of the seasoned Australian opener.

Tristan Stubbs has showcased his aggressive batting prowess consistently, and Axar Patel demonstrated his ability with the bat in the narrow victory over GT when promoted up the order.

Although spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel have been economical, DC's pace bowling department requires improvement. Anrich Nortje, the pace spearhead, has struggled this season, conceding runs at an alarming rate of 13.36, posing a significant challenge for Delhi.

Injuries have plagued bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, and Ishant Sharma, contributing to their inconsistent performances.

In a previous encounter, MI's batsmen dominated, amassing 234/5 against DC, a performance that the latter would undoubtedly want to avoid repeating.

MI's resurgence this season initiated with a victory over DC, and the five-time champions aspire for a repeat performance in this pivotal match.

While Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma have contributed runs, their form has been inconsistent. It's imperative for Tim David, Ishan Kishan, and skipper Hardik Pandya to step up significantly and alleviate pressure from the top order.

Though MI's batting has shown glimpses of brilliance, their bowling remains a glaring concern.

As expected, Jasprit Bumrah has been exceptional, leading the attack with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.37.

However, newcomer Gerald Coetzee has been erratic in his debut IPL season. Despite claiming 12 wickets in eight games, the South African pacer has struggled with an economy of 10.10.

Apart from these two seamers, Mumbai's bowling unit has failed to deliver consistently, posing a significant challenge for the team.

Squads:

Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c), David Warner, Abishek Porel, Ricky Bhui, Yash Dhull, Shai Hope, Prithvi Shaw, Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kushagra, Swastik Chikara, Ishant Sharma, Jhye Richardson, Rasikh Dar Salam, Vicky Ostwal, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Praveen Dubey, Khaleel Ahmed, Sumit Kumar, Axar Patel, Gulbadin Naib, Lalit Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk.

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Harvik Desai, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood.

Match starts 3.30pm IST.