Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians - A Must Win Affair

Delhi Daredevils and the Mumbai Indians are yet to meet this season. However there is bound to be some resentment between the two already. Delhi Daredevils’ lost their previous game to Sunrisers Hyderabad. This fact coupled with Mumbai Indians’ loss to the Chennai Superkings means that Mumbai are the only winless team in the league so far. Having lost their 3 opening games on the trot, Mumbai are creeping into the desperate area. They no longer would love to end this streak. They now NEED to end this streak.
Delhi Daredevils have struggled for consistency this season. Their top order has struggled but the introduction of Quinton de Kock as Murali Vijay’s opening partner made a great difference. With the in-form South African, their line up now looks formidable. Ross Taylor’s exclusion to make space for him is a hindrance to the middle order, but as the Sunrisers showed in their previous meeting; if the top order clicks then the middle order becomes less important. However they will need de Kock and Vijay to once again make the platform for the likes of Dinesh Karthik, captain Pietersen and the in-form JP Duminy. Their lack of options in the bowling department means that the Shami, Unadkat and Nadeem are likely to be permanent fixtures in the starting lineup. They will be assisted by Wayne Parnell or Nathan Coulter-Nile (fitness permitting). A lot will be expected from these players if they are to overpower Mumbai’s batting.
Mumbai Indians’ batting seemed to finally be coming together.  Tare seems comfortable at the top but needs to contribute more than just a start. Sharma, Anderson and Rayudu have shown some spark in the middle this year. Mr. Cricket Michael Hussey however has been the major disappointment. Whether they persist with him or bring in Ben Dunk will be a tough call the team management has to take. A game at the batsman friendly Sharjah pitch is just what might be required for him to kickstart the season. Against Chennai, the Mumbai spinners finally came to the party. Even though they didn’t win, the spin twins Ojha and Harbhajan took 3 crucial wickets. This now means that all their 4 frontline bowlers have good spells under them. If they can pull it together in one game then a game winning performance is likely.
These two teams have been the epitome of inconsistency this season. Delhi have either batted or bowled well. Never both together. Mumbai Indians on the other hand have had good individual performances.  Never a good team performance akin of last year. A win in this game is just what both the teams need to kickstart their season. Mumbai can get off the foot of the table – which is essential. Delhi can build some momentum for the Indian leg of the tournament – this is their last game in the UAE.
However a concerted effort across the board – which as established earlier, neither team have experienced this season – will be needed. However with the big hitting batsman that these two teams feature and the flat track of Sharjah, this game is likely to be great entertainment for the viewers. The teams however will be concerned with the consequences.