IPL 2024, DC vs MI: Decoding the key player battles
Match 43 of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) will see Delhi Capitals take on Mumbai Indians at home. Both teams have had underwhelming campaigns with MI claiming three wins in eight fixtures. DC, meanwhile, have four wins in nine outings. With the tournament being in its second half, both sides must bounce back sooner than later. Here we decode the key player battles.
Suryakumar Yadav vs Axar Patel
Suryakumar Yadav, who has played a couple of fiery knocks this year, would be raring to score big against DC. He will be required to tackle Axar Patel's left-arm spin in the middle overs. As per ESPNcricinfo, SKY has scored 53 runs against Axar in 10 IPL meetings, while only getting dismissed once. However, he had a very low strike rate of 86.88.
Rohit Sharma vs Khaleel Ahmed
Rohit Sharma has been aggressive in the powerplay overs. He, however, has missed out after getting starts on several occasions. Against DC, he will have to face Khaleel Ahmed early on. Rohit has faced Khaleel five times in the IPL and has been dismissed once (SR: 72.97). Since 2022, Rohit has fallen to left-arm pacers 11 times across 48 innings, while striking at 116.73.
Jake Fraser-McGurk vs Gerald Coetzee
Australia's Jake Fraser-McGurk has made noise with a couple of breathtaking knocks this year. Gerald Coetzee will be challenged against him in the powerplay overs. Though Fraser-McGurk has a powerplay strike rate of 233.33 in IPL 2024, he has been dismissed twice across four meetings in this phase. Meanwhile, Coetzee has three wickets in nine powerplay overs this season though his economy reads 10.55.
Jasprit Bumrah against Rishabh Pant
Although Rishabh Pant has been enjoying a dream run, the in-form Jasprit Bumrah has kept him quiet in IPL. Bumrah has dismissed the Delhi Capitals star six times across 13 IPL meetings, conceding just 48 runs off 43 balls in this battle. While Pant's tally of 342 runs is the most for a non-opener this season, Bumrah is the joint-leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps.
Key details about the match
Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium will host this game on April 27. The venue has already witnessed a couple of high-scoring games this season. As the ground usually offers pitches that contain low bounce, spinners have a key role to play. Star Sports will telecast the match, and fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema for free (3:30pm IST).
