Dubai: Their play-off berth secured, defending champions Mumbai Indians would look to add to the woes of Delhi Capitals, who are on a three-match losing streak, and consolidate their position at the top when the two teams face each other in their penultimate IPL league game here on Saturday.
Chennai Super Kings six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday sealed MI’s play-off berth. The defending champions are currently on 16 points and with an excellent net run rate (NRR), are almost certain to finish in the top two. Despite three defeats on the trot against Kings XI Punjab, KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad, DC are placed third with 14 points from 12 games, courtesy their consistent run in the first phase of the league.
The three defeats should come as an eye opener for DC as they can ill-afford to take things lightly and need at least a win to seal their play-off place. But it won’t be an easy task as their last two games are against the top two teams on the table — MI and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
If DC lose their last two games, it is entirely possible that KXIP will go past them on NRR even if they finish on 14 points and in such a case, the Delhi side could be eliminated if other teams on 14 have a higher NRR. Going by paper, MI definitely have a clear-cut edge over DC and having confirmed their last four berth, the title holders would be playing without any pressure.
Regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who missed the last three games due to a left-leg hamstring injury, is unlikely to take the field again on Saturday, but there is no substantial word from the MI management in this regard yet.
While MI had roared back to form after thrashing RCB by five-wickets in the last game, there are problems aplenty for DC. MI are unlikely to tinker with the playing XI, with their top-order firing on all cylinders. (PTI)
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