MI vs DC IPL 2024 Match Preview: Fit-again Suryakumar Yadav in focus as Mumbai Indians aim to get off the mark against Delhi Capitals

MI vs DC IPL 2024 Match Preview with Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya

Mumbai Indians will keep their fingers crossed for the return of Suryakumar Yadav against Delhi Capitals at home as they continue their desperate bid to get off the mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

The No. 1 batter in International Cricket Council T20I rankings, Surya is likely to play his first game of the season after returning to training on Friday. He missed the start of the season due to an ankle injury, suffered during India's white-ball tour of South Africa in 2023, and a subsequent sports hernia surgery.

SKY was cleared from the National Cricket earlier this week after a long rehabilitation process. If declared fit to play today (Sunday), he will face a difficult but urgent task of igniting Mumbai's campaign, which is yet to get going.

The five-time champions are the only team without a win this season. They find themselves at the bottom of the table after three losses in as many matches. Another loss would make their road to playoffs even more arduous.

Like MI, the Capitals have also lost three matches but at least have opened their account with a win against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). But they are coming from a demoralising 106-run defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Clash of the Basement Boys

With three successive losses, MI are languishing at the bottom while the Capitals slipped to the ninth spot in the points table after crashing to an embarrassing loss in their last match.

The first game of Sunday's double-header might be between the two bottom-placed teams, but it promises to be a blockbuster clash. Desperation, sometimes, brings the best out of a team. No other teams are craving to taste the sweetness of a victory more than MI and DC.

SKY in focus at Wankhede

Not just the Mumbai fans but the national selectors will also keep a close eye on SKY's likely comeback. Since the T20 World Cup begins in a mere five days after IPL, his form and fitness are crucial for both the IPL and international Teams in Blue. But right away, SKY has the task cut out for himself to lift MI from a precarious position.

Surya sweated it out in the nets in his first practice session in the last three months, spent in rehabilitation at the NCA. He looked in good shape during the exercise round and in the extended batting session.

Surya's return will add much-needed firepower to the MI batting order, which has looked disjointed in the first three games.

Openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have failed to capitalise on good starts as has Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir. Embattled captain Hardik Pandya has not been able to deliver with either bat, ball or as a leader.

Capitals in need of a rejig

Meanwhile, the Capitals must forget the forgetful outing against KKR to move forward in the tournament. Barring Khaleel Ahmed, no other DC bowler has impressed so far. Against KKR, the DC bowling attack gifted countless freebies to allow the Knight Riders to score a massive 272/7 in 20 overs.

Comeback man Rishabh Pant is coming on the back of two half-centuries but he needs support from the top-order. He will also require some smart moves as the leader to get the best out of his men.

The collective top-order failure in chase of 273 had cost DC the match. In spite of the Pant-Tristan Stubbs 102-run stand, with both getting half-centuries, DC couldn’t last their full quota of 20 overs. They will be under pressure to get their act together in all departments of the game.

Pant vs Bumrah battle

Jasprit Bumrah, though with just three wickets in MI’s three matches, has got rid of Pant six times in their 16 face-offs in the IPL. Despite not getting many wickets, the pace spearhead has been Mumbai’s most effective bowler. With Pant being the best batter for DC this season, it will be interesting to see how he handles Bumrah at the Wankhede pitch today.

Head-to-head:

There is not much to choose between the two sides in Head-to-head. DC and MI have locked horns in 33 IPL matches. MI are ahead with 18 wins compared to DC's 13.

MI vs DC Squads:

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood.

Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c&wk), David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Yash Dhull, Abishek Porel, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Pravin Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Swastik Chikara, Shai Hope.

Match starts at 3:30 PM IST.