Mumbai Indians

After three games at home, Mumbai Indians are on the road again and will face Delhi Capitals at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday in the first of four consecutive away matches for the three-time IPL champions. MI won their previous game against Royal Challengers Bangalore and will want to take that momentum into the clash against Delhi, who beat us in our first match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019. The Capitals are in good form as well and will head into the contest after three wins in a row. Ahead of us in the points table only on net run-rate, beating Delhi on Thursday will see us rise to second spot in the standings.

Head-to-head

MI 11-12 DC

Form Guide (Last 5 Games)

Mumbai Indians: W L W W W

Delhi Capitals: W W W L L

From the MI dugout

With four wins from the last five games, confidence is high within the MI camp. Our openers continue to provide us with strong starts, while the bowlers also showed signs of improvement in the last game. Quinton de Kock – our top-scorer this year – will be keen to make a statement against his former team Delhi and our middle order will be hoping to make more of a contribution with the bat. As far as our bowlers are concerned, Lasith Malinga, who once famously took a five-wicket haul against Delhi at the Kotla, will be dangerous. The Sri Lankan captain was Man of the Match in the last game and is finding his form at the right time from our perspective. He along with Jasprit Bumrah and Jason Behrendorff make for a formidable attack on what’s been a low and slow surface at Kotla this year.

Key Player

Hardik Pandya has been one of our in-form players and most consistent performer this season. He has taken seven wickets so far and helped us get breakthroughs in crucial stages. He’s also made his presence felt with the bat in the slog overs. Hardik has scored 186 runs so far at a team-high average of 46.5 and a strike rate of 191.75. Getting his wicket before he settles down will be imperative to Delhi’s chances of a win.

From the DC dugout

The Capitals have looked very impressive this season with their blend of youth and experience. This Delhi side beat us at the Wankhede in March and will be confident about securing another win. Their young stars Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer have all stood up at some point this season, while their bowlers Keemo Paul, Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris have been both economical and posed wicket threats. However, both sides are in good form at present, making Thursday’s match between the two teams anyone’s for the taking.

Key Player

Delhi’s most experienced batsman Shikhar Dhawan will be important to their chances of a win. The elegant left-hander has found some form off late and played a Man of the Match knock of 97* against Kolkata Knight Riders recently. He has the ability to build an innings at a swift pace and can take away the game from the opposition very quickly with his power and placement.