IPL 2022 MI vs DC Preview - 2 wins down, 4 to go for the Capitals

Key match stats MI vs DC

Pitch Stats – Wankhede Stadium

Average first innings score: 168
Average first innings winning score: 189
Average powerplay score: 40
Win % batting 1st vs batting 2nd: 42% / 58%

Team form MI vs DC

MI – LWLWW
DC – WWLWL
Recent meetings: DC won by 4 wickets

MI vs DC Preview

The season has gone full circle since these 2 sides met in their opening match of IPL 2022, a game that saw Delhi at one stage reduced to 72 for 5 in pursuit of 178 before the likes of Axar Patel rescued them at the close.

You wonder what might have been for Mumbai had they have secured a victory in those early stages and left themselves with a chance of qualification in these later games taking part on their home ground of the Wankhede.

That being said, it's not been an easy season for the Capitals either in what has been a very stop start campaign. They finally managed to secure back to back wins for the first time in IPL 2022 when they defeated PBKS in their last match and all but ended their chances of making the playoffs but they know that consistency is still very much the name of the game with all their remaining matches essentially eliminators.

If they do win today and pip RCB to 4th place, then while the Capitals would need to go about it the hard way if they were to secure their first title then they would at least be the form team heading into the playoffs for what would be the 4th time in as many seasons.

On paper, DC have always looked good but it's only in the last few games that the likes of Mitch Marsh and Anrich Nortje have started to deliver and provide the Capitals with that added boost, will it be enough to get them over the line?

Another man and yet another captain still searching for late season form is Rishabh Pant who despite having scored 300+ runs is yet to pass the 50 mark in a single innings during IPL 2022. There have been a couple of nice cameos from the skipper but he'll know that more is required from him specifically at this key time in the season.

Batsmen	Total Runs in IPL 2022	Strike Rate
RR Pant	301	157.6
RG Sharma	266	126.7
R Tewatia	217	147.6

Most runs in IPL 2022 without scoring a half-century

For Mumbai, it at least looks as though they are settling on a core of 6 or 7 players for next season although the news that Jofra Archer will not play any cricket again during the English summer means that their gamble with him looks unlikely to pay off.

They will probably continue to blood a few more youngsters in this match and you would have thought that the sheer power and experience of this Capitals team will be too much for them to handle. Still this is T20 cricket and anything can happen while Mumbai despite already being assured of the wooden spoon will receive plenty of vocal support from the home crowd.

The Wankhede has also not been a ground where DC have performed well of late, losing 3 of their 4 games here in IPL 2022 despite having the luxury of chasing in each of those matches at a venue where batting 2nd has been more advantageous than at any of the other stadiums used this season.

MI vs DC head to head

DC bowling vs MI batting

The Capitals are spoilt for choice as far as left-arm seamers are concerned with both Khaleel Ahmed and Sakariya having performed well for them on occasions this season.

Both can shape the ball and both should enjoy early conditions here at the Wankede as their prior records at this ground show.

Khaleel Ahmed and Sakariya T20 career stats at the Wankhede

It might ultimately be that Khaleel Ahmed gets the nod for this one (as he has most of the season) particularly given how well he performed against Mumbai in their previous meeting while delivering figures of 2 for 27 from his 4 overs.

In fact, left-arm seam has generally proved effective against this Mumbai top order all season and in particular Ishan Kishan who has been dismissed 4 times in IPL 2022 by it including 3 times in the powerplay.

Ishan Kishan vs left-arm seam in IPL 2022

Of course, DC will also be keen to unleash Kuldeep Yadav as soon as possible on this relatively inexperienced MI middle order, most of whom will have had limited chances to play against the left-arm wrist spinner. It therefore becomes even more crucial that at least one of Ishan Kishan or Rohit Sharma bat through the bulk of the innings here if they are to spoil DC's day.

MI bowling vs DC batting

I mentioned the lack of match winning innings from Rishabh Pant above but if he had to pick a venue to deliver one then it might well be the Wankhede where he averages in excess of 40 with a very healthy strike rate.

Pant T20 career stats at the Wankhede

Conversely, if he had to pick a bowler not to face in constructing an innings it would undoubtedly be Jasprit Bumrah who has definitely had the wood over him in previous encounters.

Bumrah vs Pant T20 head to head

As for MI, Daniel Sams has looked a credible powerplay option for them here at the Wankhede, finding some early movement to rip through the Chennai top order and then also dismiss the inform Abishek Sharma in their game against Sunrisers.

Phase of the game	Wickets	Strike Rate	Economy
Overs 1 to 6	4	10.3	6.0
Overs 7 onwards	1	30.0	10.6

Daniel Sams has been effective during the powerplay in all 3 of his appearances at the Wankhede this season but has struggled once the field goes back

He's certainly improved since the start of the season although I'd argue that he's still a limited bowler later on the innings and needs to be picked primarily for the movement that he finds with the new ball.

DC will want to resist Sams early on and heap pressure on an inexperienced bowling attack + Bumrah to have to turn things around later in the innings.

All stats used in this blog are from my own database which is freely accessible at T20 head to head. Images are my own with the exception of player profiles and background images which are used under a creative commons license or otherwise royalty free