After finishing the league stage at the pole position on the points table, Mumbai Indians play Qualifier 1 against Delhi Capitals on Thursday at Dubai International Stadium. Mumbai Indians have remained one of the most consistent sides in the tournament barring one or two games. The previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad was one such game where the opposition completely dominated Mumbai Indians.
The strength of the team has remained in them performing as a unit. Whenever the star players have failed on the track, others have filled in with stupendous performances. May it be Ishan Kishan stepping up in the absence of Rohit Sharma or Nathan Coulter-Nile filling in for James Pattinson. Moreover, the bench strength has played a big role in the team’s success throughout the tournament.
Rohit Sharma has led the team from the front in few games whereas Keiron Pollard has filled in for the captain when the opener was out due to a hamstring injury. Hardik Pandya’s inability to bowl in the middle overs because of back surgery hasn’t affected the team as others have played well. The captain will expect his side to keep up the good work on the pitch on Thursday.
With Mumbai Indians looking for consecutive finals, here are the top three picks for Mumbai Indians against Delhi Capitals:
#1) Jasprit Bumrah
The game against Sunrisers Hyderabad proved the fact that neither the absence of Rohit Sharma nor the absence of Hardik Pandya from the playing XI will hurt the chances of Mumbai Indians. But it is the absence of Jasprit Bumrah that can affect the team seriously. In the absence of the star player, Mumbai Indians were unable to remove even one wicket of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Being in the race to win Purple Cap, Jasprit Bumrah will be one of the top three picks for Mumbai Indians at Dubai International Stadium. The team will look for the star performance from their ace player on Thursday.
#2) Trent Boult
The left-arm pacer has played a big role for Mumbai Indians in the powerplay overs. Though not well-known or attractive as Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult has assisted the side with his fiery spells. The Newzealand international will be key for Mumbai Indians’ aspirations on Thursday.
In 13 matches, the left-arm fast bowler has 20 wickets at an economy of 8.14 with a strike rate of 15.40. Trent Boult will be one of the top three picks for Mumbai Indians against Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 1.
#3) Quinton de Kock
The South African southpaw had one of the slowest of the start to the season and was on the verge of being dropped for the likes of Chris Lynn. However, the player redeemed himself with some great performances in IPL 2020 and has become an indispensable member of the team.
Our impact player behind the stumps with his gloves and in the front with his bat.
Quinny – #Believe👊🏼#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #MIvDC @QuinnyDeKock69 pic.twitter.com/JVD14VxC0s
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 5, 2020
In IPL 2020, the player has featured in all 14 games and has 443 to his name. He has scored four half-centuries and has batted at a strike rate of 138 in the tournament. The player will have a big role to play against the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.