Suryakumar's potential return brightens bottom-of-table clash

Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Delhi Capitals (DC)
Mumbai, 3.30pm IST (10am GMT)

Sunday's double-header will be kicked off by a bottom-of-the-table clash as Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals look to turn their fortunes around. Mumbai are still without a win, while Capitals have won just one of their four games. And both teams are coming into the game on the back of comprehensive defeats.

One major boost for the hosts will be the potential return of the world's No. 1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav, who trained with the squad for the first time on Friday after missing the start of the season. He will add much-needed firepower to Mumbai's batting should he be cleared to play - and it's a department they need some confidence in after being restricted to just 125 in their last match against Rajasthan Royals.

Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, suffered a 106-run defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders, a performance that left their head coach Ricky Ponting "almost embarrassed". But their one big positive was Rishabh Pant scoring his second consecutive half-century.

IPL 2024 has marked Pant's return to professional cricket after a life-threatening car accident in December 2022. After a slow start to the season, Pant blazed quick fifties against Chennai Super Kings and KKR, and seems to be batting with a great degree of freedom. Apart from David Warner, Pant is the one big batting threat Mumbai will be vary of.

But they have on their side an in-form Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah, who has been the standout bowler for Mumbai this season after missing IPL 2023 with injury, has dismissed Pant six times in 13 games in the IPL, getting him out more often than any other bowler.

Pant has also struggled to score quickly off Bumrah, striking at 111.62 against him.

With Akash Madhwal in their attack as well, Mumbai can be flexible in their use of Bumrah, and can save him up for this crucial match-up. How this battle pans out could go a long way in deciding the outcome of the game.

Mumbai LLL (Most recent match first)
Capitals LWLL

Mumbai Indians
If Suryakumar is available, Naman Dhir will likely make way for him. How Mumbai use the impact player will be interesting to see. In their last match, they brought in Dewald Brevis as the impact player as early as the end of the first over, and he was out for a golden duck. Brevis and Romario Shepherd are likely candidates for the role if Mumbai bowl first - or if they bat and suffer early losses - while a sixth bowler could come in if they bat first.

Probable XII: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Naman Dhir/Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Dewald Brevis/Romario Shepherd 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Tim David, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Gerald Coetzee, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Akash Madhwal, 12 Kwena Maphaka.

Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals could have Kuldeep Yadav back in the mix, after he missed their last two games. Kuldeep started the season well, but was then advised rest due to a groin niggle. Capitals will take a final call on his availability after a fitness test either on the eve of the game, or on matchday. Mitchell Marsh also picked up an injury during Capitals' last game and that could set his compatriot Jake Fraser-McGurk up for an IPL debut.

Probable XII: 1 David Warner, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Abishek Porel, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Sumit Kumar/Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Rasikh Salam, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Ishant Sharma, 12 Khaleel Ahmed.

For their first two games, Mumbai Indians opted for the extra spin option in Shams Mulani, but brought in Akash Madhwal for their first home game of the season. Madhwal, who made his debut in the back half of the 2023 season, had impressed for Mumbai in Jasprit Bumrah's absence, even registering record figures of 5 for 5 in the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants. In his first match this year, he accounted for Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and R Ashwin as he gave away just 20 runs in his four overs. He was a rare positive on an otherwise forgettable day for Mumbai, who will hope he can continue to deliver. The last time he played a day game at the Wankhede, he took four wickets to slow Sunrisers down after a 140-run opening stand.

Capitals would have undoubtedly taken notes from the Royals' powerplay performance with the ball in the last match at the Wankhede, and have, in Khaleel Ahmed, a left-arm seamer who they know can cause significant damage at the top. Khaleel went for runs against KKR, but has generally been threatening with the new ball, as he displayed in his first spell against CSK. He averages 19.5 with the ball against Mumbai, an impressive record that he will look to better.

Last year, the Wankhede was a high-scoring ground, but this match will see the same strip used as in the match against Royals. That pitch was not used in IPL 2023, and it proved to be a tricky one to bat on. There was seam movement early on and the ball also held in the pitch as the match wore on. So expect batters to work hard for their runs.

"I don't think [fans] should boo Hardik Pandya. The franchise has appointed him as captain. That's what happens in sport, whether you captain India or whether you captain your state or whether you captain your franchise, you are appointed as captain. Rohit Sharma is different class, his performance for his franchise and for India has been a different level whether as captain or player. It is not Hardik's fault he has been appointed captain."
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