The thirteenth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has reached its climax. The two finalists of the cash-rich league are decided through a hard-fought Qualifier and Eliminator rounds of the playoffs.
Undoubtedly, the two best sides of the competition have reached the final after 59-gruelling T20 games.
On Tuesday, it will be the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) locking horns with each other for the coveted trophy.
DC’s emphatic win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the second Qualifiers helped them reach their maiden IPL final. Seasoned MI unit have reached the summit fixture on five occasions previously.
It will be a golden opportunity for Rohit Sharma and Co. to lift their fifth IPL title, and first in a year ending with an even number.
Their road to final has been largely unimpeded with 10 wins in 15 games. DC’s journey on the flip side has been thrilling, full of ups and downs.
In this tournament alone, MI has had the edge over DC with three thumpings wins (two in league stages, one in Qualifiers).
Overall, in the history of the tournament as well, MI has a better head to head record, with 15 wins in 27 games between the two teams. The MI team, throughout the tournament, has fielded a well-balanced lineup. They have found different heroes at various junctures of the competition.
There’s no argument about the Capitals coming into the high-profile event with the underdogs’ tags. That said, MI contingent can be complacent about Ricky Ponting’s men only at their peril.
With Shikhar Dhawan getting back amongst the runs and Marcus Stonis being promoted up the order, the batting department looks a different unit altogether. Their middle-order woes look sorted with Shimron Hetmyer providing the final impetus against SRH.
The much-anticipated final will also be an epic clash between Purple Cap holder Kagiso Rabada and contender Jasprit Bumrah. The winner of the prized Cap will also be decided in the summit clash.
All in all, the high-octane fixture is set to be a mouthwatering contest, with both teams going all-out for the trophy.
Here are the predicted lineups:
DC:
Marcus Stoinis, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Praveen Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje
MI:
Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
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