After 52 days of cricketing action, exhilarating moments, and intense battles on the field, it has come down to the final showdown. Mumbai Indians are all set to take on Delhi Capitals in the final of Dream11 IPL 2020 at the Dubai International Stadium on 10th November 2020.

Both teams were also amongst the top two positions on the points table. While MI defeated DC in Qualifier 1, DC managed to overcome the SRH threat in Qualifier 2 to enter their first-ever final.

We take you through some of the talking points ahead of the IPL final between MI and DC.

Flashback

There have been three encounters between both sides so far in this season. MI have managed to emerge victorious in all those three occasions.

In their first battle at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, DC rode on Shikhar Dhawan's 69* (52) to post a total of 162/4 in their 20 overs. As for MI, twin half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav sealed the deal as they registered a five-wicket win.

In the reverse fixture held at the Dubai International Stadium, MI who elected to bowl first were off to a spectacular start. The fearsome bowling pair of Boult and Bumrah picked six wickets altogether to restrict DC to 110/9 in their 20 overs. Ishan Kishan's fantastic knock of 72* (47) ensured MI cruised to the target with ease.

The first Qualifier was also held in Dubai. Batting first, Quinton and Suryakumar created a good platform for MI. Their quick dismissals followed by Pollard getting out, put them on the backfoot. However, Ishan and Hardik's onslaught, in the end, helped MI put up a total of 200/5 on the board. With the ball, Boult and Bumrah again lit up the stage as they reduced DC to 0/3 at one stage. MI ended up winning the contest by 57 runs.

MI hold the edge

MI enjoys a better head-to-head record against DC, having defeated them a total of 15 times out of 26. The men in Blue and Gold have also been on a four-match winning streak against their opponents. While MI are playing their sixth final, DC have qualified for the first time. After losing the IPL final in 2010, MI have been unbeaten in their last four finals.

MI have registered a total of ten wins in the tournament so far. DC on the other hand have won nine matches, having played one extra match. After defeating SRH in the last game, the DC team will be a confident unit, especially with Dhawan and Stoinis regaining touch. MI will take inspiration from the first Qualifier where they registered a one-sided victory.

The Run Machines

Quinton de Kock and Ishan Kishan have both scored 483 runs for MI in the ongoing season, which goes on to define their role in the team. While Quinton has been consistent with his atrocities at the top order, Ishan has managed to up the ante whenever he has walked out to bat in the middle. Suryakumar Yadav who has got 461 runs in his kitty will be aware of the challenges of a final. He has had an excellent tournament so far and will look to finish it on a high. Rohit Sharma on the other hand has a big knock due and there won't be a better stage than the finals to stand tall.

Shikhar Dhawan led the batting for DC in the previous match where he scored a spectacular 78 (50). He will also be eyeing that Orange Cap for which he requires 67 more runs. His new opening partner Marcus Stoinis also put up a good show with the bat as they combined for an 86-run partnership for the first wicket. Ajinkya Rahane didn't get a chance to bat against SRH but being an experienced campaigner, he knows the pressure of big games. The DC skipper hasn't been able to convert his starts and accelerate. Shreyas Iyer will look to get going at the crease.

Finishing conundrum

The pair of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya has scored a total of 483 runs during 15-20 overs, striking at a rate of 204.66 this season. Both have also hit a total of 47 sixes between themselves throughout the tournament. They have helped MI finish games regularly with those extra 20-30 runs in the end. Krunal Pandya who hasn't got many chances can also be dangerous with the bat alongside Nathan Coulter-Nile which makes it a terrific batting lineup.

Shimron Hetmyer rose to the occasion against SRH with a quickfire 42* (22) in the end. The Guyanese batsman will be waiting to explode with the bat in the final. Rishabh Pant who has had an indifferent season in terms of power-hitting will look to go guns blazing once he's out there in the middle. Axar Patel scored 42 (33) against MI in the first Qualifier and is capable of getting crucial runs in the end.

How the bowling lineups match up

The pair of Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah has been causing great destruction to the opposition batsmen. Both the pacers have picked 49 wickets between themselves this season. Coulter-Nile was also quite economical with the ball in the previous game while Pollard has chipped in time and again. Rahul Chahar will be looking to add on to his tally of 15 wickets this season. The leg-spinner bowled splendidly in last year's IPL final. Krunal Pandya was also quite economical in the Qualifier. With the number of left-handed batsmen in the DC batting lineup, Jayant Yadav can also be a handy pick for MI.

Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje have been in scintillating form with the ball. The duo is also at par with Bumrah-Boult, having picked 49 wickets altogether.  Rabada currently leads the race for the Purple Cap with a total of 29 scalps. Marcus Stoinis picked three crucial wickets with the ball in a crucial encounter against SRH. Ravichandran Ashwin shined with the ball in the first Qualifier as he accounted for three wickets. Axar Patel has also bowled with control and has the best economy rate of 6.62 by a DC bowler. Leg-spinner Praveen Dubey can also be a vital cog in the wheel.

Approaching Milestones

- Quinton requires 61 runs more to complete 2000 runs in IPL

- Pollard is 2 sixes away from completing 200 sixes in IPL

- Krunal requires 1 run more to complete 1000 runs in IPL

- Krunal is also 4 wickets away from completing 50 wickets in IPL

Players To Watch Out

Rohit Sharma: The skipper was at the forefront of MI's first win this season against KKR and even scored a 70 (45) against KXIP. Rohit Sharma will look to rise to the occasion just like his innings of 50 (26) back in IPL 2015 final. He has got a couple of starts in this season but couldn't convert it into a big one. Rohit has a great chance of not only captaining his team to their fifth title win but also lead them from the front.

Krunal Pandya: The all-rounder hasn't made his mark in the season so far. One of the most prolific match-winners for MI, Krunal Pandya was the Man of the Match in the 2017 IPL final. He has bowled with great precision in the powerplay even though he hasn't ended up amongst the wickets every time. At the same time, he will also look to get some runs on the board.

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