The penultimate game of the season will see Delhi take on Hyderabad for a chance to play in the Indian T20 League 2020 final and I'm very excited for this match-up as it pits one of the best teams in the tournaments in Delhi against the in-form, firing-on-all-cylinders Hyderabad.
It’s that time in the tournament where the big players need to step up and be responsible for guiding their team to victory. So, with that in mind, here are the players I think will be the ones to decide this contest:
Delhi – Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada has been Delhi’s ace pacer this season, but he had an outing to forget against Mumbai in Qualifier 1, giving away 42 runs in his quota of four overs in what was a rare wicketless game for the South African. What probably hurt him more was that he also had to see Jasprit Bumrah pick four wickets and take a two-wicket lead in the race for the Purple Cap. I'm certain Rabada can’t wait to redeem himself on Sunday against the team that smashed him for 54 runs in their most recent league stage encounter.
Hyderabad – David Warner
Captain David Warner has been in sublime form for Hyderabad, notching up 546 runs and trailing only KL Rahul in the race for the Orange Cap. His incredible knock of 85 against Mumbai helped Hyderabad reach the playoffs, and while he checked out early against Bangalore in the Eliminator, he looked in good touch during his brief stay at the crease. Warner's performance will likely decide who goes on to face Mumbai in the final on Tuesday.
Delhi – Marcus Stoinis
If not for Marcus Stoinis, Delhi would have probably suffered one of the most embarrassing defeats in franchise history against Mumbai in Qualifier 1. The Australian all-rounder picked a wicket in his only over and then scored 65 off 46 balls after coming in to bat with the score at 0/3, keeping Delhi in the hunt right up until the 16th over. Stoinis possesses the ability to take the game away from the opposition on his own and Delhi will need him to bring his A-game again on Sunday against Hyderabad.
Hyderabad – Jason Holder
Mitchell Marsh's injury proved to be a blessing in disguise for Hyderabad as his replacement Jason Holder has been one of the stars for the side and would be one of the contenders for MVP if we only considered the second half of the season. Holder has picked up 13 wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 7.62 and also scored some handy runs with the bat, the highlight being his measured knock of 24 against Bangalore in the Eliminator. The West Indian is crucial to Hyderabad's chances of not only beating Delhi but also going all the way.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League
