Delhi take on defending champions Mumbai in their fourth match of Indian T20 League 2021 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday, April 20.
Both the teams have won two of their three matches so far and a win for either side will take them to six points, same as the Virat Kohli-led Team Bangalore.
While Delhi head into the fixture after defeating Punjab by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai have recorded back-to-back victories by defending low totals in Chennai.
The two captains Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma will look to continue their winning momentum in the high-profile league on Tuesday.
Delhi vs Mumbai full squads
Delhi: Rishabh Pant (captain/wicket-keeper), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod (wicket-keeper), Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings
Mumbai: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Anmolpreet Singh, Aditya Tare, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Jayant Yadav, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohsin Khan, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Marco Jansen, Yudhvir Charak, Arjun Tendulkar
Delhi vs Mumbai probable XI
The form of swashbuckling opener Shikhar Dhawan has been the biggest positive for Delhi in the ongoing edition of the Indian T20 League. Dhawan has scored 186 runs in three matches at an average of 62. On the other hand, his opening partner Prithvi Shaw has failed to convert his starts to a big total.
The franchise also opted for Australian Steve Smith against Punjab but he managed just nine runs off 12 balls. Smith is expected to be given another opportunity before Delhi consider Shimron Hetmyer.
Delhi also played with four pacers against Punjab but they are expected to field more spinners at the Chepauk due to the nature of the pitch. In that case, Amit Mishra could replace Avesh Khan in the playing XI. The franchise could also consider bringing in South Africa pacer Anrich Nortje in place of Chris Woakes, who joined the squad recently.
Delhi predicted XI: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Steve Smith, Rishabh Pant, Marcus Stoinis, Lalit Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Amit Mishra, Lukman Meriwala
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai will not look to make too many changes as they have a settled line-up. However, the franchise will hope their openers Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock can convert their starts to a big one.
Given the slow tracks at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Mumbai might consider bringing in off-spinner Jayant Yadav, who played the 2020 final against the same opposition. In that case, fast bowler Adam Milne will be the one making way for Jayant.
Mumbai predicted XI: Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav/Adam Milne, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult
Delhi vs Mumbai head-to-head record in Indian T20 League
In the Delhi vs Mumbai head-to-head record in the Indian T20 League, the five-time champions hold a clear advantage as they have won 16 of the 28 matches played between these two sides.
Furthermore, Mumbai have won 63.64 percent of their games at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai - winning seven of the 11 games. On the other hand, Delhi have won just 25 percent of their matches at this venue, registering just two wins in eight encounters.
Delhi vs Mumbai match prediction: Who will win?
Mumbai hold a clear edge against Delhi as they defeated Rishabh Pant’s side four times last season, including the 2020 Indian T20 League final. Additionally, Mumbai have one of the most balanced squads in the tournament as compared to Delhi who lack depth in the batting order. Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai are tipped to triumph over Delhi on Tuesday.
Best performers in Delhi vs Mumbai: Predictions
Top Tip: Best Batsmen
Delhi will depend on their in-form opener Shikhar Dhawan to play another match-winning innings against Mumbai on Tuesday. The 35-year-old southpaw has amassed 748 runs in 24 matches against the Mumbai franchise including five fifties to his name. Shikhar Dhawan is tipped to score the maximum runs for last year’s finalists in this tie.
Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma is the ideal candidate to be the leading run-scorer in the latest Delhi vs Mumbai showdown. Rohit has scored 818 runs against Delhi in 24 matches at a strike rate of 133. Considering his record, one should bet on the Mumbai skipper as the top batsman in this fixture.
Top tip: Best bowlers
Delhi off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin can prove to be the game-changing bowler for his side against Mumbai at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday. Ashwin has an impressive record against the defending champions, scalping 21 wickets in 27 innings at an economy of 6.59.
For Mumbai, Jasprit Bumrah will spearhead the bowling attack against Delhi, and stats reveal that he has been their chief tormentor. Bumrah has claimed 18 wickets in 15 innings at an average of just 22.77. He is expected to spell trouble for Rishabh Pant and Co. and add to his tally of 18 wickets at the Chepauk.
Top tip: All-rounders and wicket-keepers
Delhi all-rounder Marcus Stoinis played a match-winning knock against Punjab on Sunday as he scored 27 runs off just 13 balls to guide his home to a convincing win. The 31-year-old was one of the standout players for Delhi last season, amassing 352 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 148.52. He had also scalped 13 wickets at an average of 21.76. He is expected to play an important role against Mumbai on Tuesday.
On the other hand, Mumbai will hope for an all-round performance from Hardik Pandya. Hardik hasn’t had a defining performance in the ongoing edition of the Indian T20 League but he is expected to come good against Delhi. The 27-year-old has a decent record in the league as he has scored 1384 runs and picked 42 wickets in 83 matches.
For the wicket-keeper position, Rishabh Pant will be the preferred choice over Quinton de Kock. Pant has been in decent form as compared to his counterpart, who is struggling for runs. Pant also has a decent wicket-keeping record in the Indian T20 League as he has taken 47 catches and completed 11 stumpings so far.
Featured photo: IPL/BCCI
