Delhi, April 13: Unseasonal weather threw a curveball at Mumbai Indians’ preparation ahead of their high-stakes clash against the unbeaten Delhi Capitals. Dust storms and showers halted MI’s practice sessions on consecutive evenings in the national capital, adding another hurdle to an already faltering campaign.
As the IPL 2025 season progresses, Delhi Capitals have emerged as the team to beat. Four consecutive victories — two in Vizag, followed by wins in Chennai and Bengaluru — have put them firmly at the top of the table. Sunday’s evening fixture at the Arun Jaitley Stadium marks their first home game of the season, and they will be confident heading into it.
A major factor in DC’s dominance has been the explosive resurgence of KL Rahul. For the first time in seven IPL seasons, his strike rate in the first 10 balls of an innings has touched 180, with a boundary percentage of 28%. His aggressive intent has more than made up for early losses in the PowerPlay, and his form poses a serious threat to MI.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians find themselves in troubled waters with just one win from five matches. Ryan Rickelton, despite a promising partnership against KKR, has largely failed to click. Rohit Sharma’s lean patch deepens the concern — he’s crossed 20 just once in his last 11 IPL innings.
Delhi’s middle order has benefitted from the gritty Ashutosh Sharma, while Jake Fraser-McGurk has had a quiet season, averaging just 15.28 in T20s since IPL 2024. Still, the Capitals’ depth and flexibility have helped them cover for individual lapses.
In the bowling department, the contrast between the two teams is stark. DC boast the best death overs economy rate (8.51), while MI leak runs at an alarming 11.51. MI’s PowerPlay average of 51.83 is the second-worst this season, highlighting their struggle without early wickets. DC, on the other hand, have made timely breakthroughs, taking 8 wickets in PowerPlays across 4 games.
Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium saw an average first-innings score of 235 in IPL 2024, making it a paradise for batters. With conditions expected to remain dry and high-scoring, the pressure will be on both top orders to deliver.
Head-to-Head: Mumbai Indians have a slight edge over DC with a 19-16 win record. However, Delhi have been dominant at this venue, winning 7 of the 12 clashes here — including a convincing win in 2024.
Team Watch
Delhi Capitals
Injury Update: KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis skipped the optional practice session, but no confirmed injuries reported.
Tactics: Axar Patel could target Rohit Sharma early in the innings. Rohit averages just 21 against Axar, who has dismissed him thrice in 10 IPL games.
Probable Playing XI: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Mohit Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar
Mumbai Indians
Injury Update: Jasprit Bumrah bowled full tilt in the nets, and MI have a fully fit squad.
Tactics: Trent Boult’s face-off with Faf du Plessis could be pivotal. Boult has dismissed Faf four times in 14 meetings.
Probable Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Vignesh Puthur
Did You Know?
The Arun Jaitley Stadium saw eight 200+ scores in 10 innings in IPL 2024.
KL Rahul is the leading run-scorer against MI in IPL history with 950 runs in 18 innings at an average of 79.16.
Rohit Sharma enjoys batting at this venue, with 634 runs in 20 innings at a strike rate of 142.15.
What They Said:
“If your preparation is good, it doesn’t make a difference where you play. Most of us know how Delhi’s wicket behaves.” — Ashutosh Sharma, DC all-rounder
“We’ve had individual brilliance, but we need a collective performance to truly dominate. We’ve shown that once — and won big.” — Deepak Chahar, MI bowler Source cricbuzz
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