Qualifier 1 will see defending champions Mumbai Indians lock horns with Delhi Capitals on November 5 (Thursday) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. The winner of this game will go straight into the finals while the losing team will get one more shot to secure a berth in the summit clash.

After testing their bench strength, Mumbai Indians will resort to their best playing XI which means the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, and Hardik Pandya will return to the side. Despite their commanding show this season, Dubai has been the venue where MI have had the least success, winning only one out of their three games.

The good news though, apart from the fact that both their losses were in the Super Overs, is that the one victory was a comprehensive one against Delhi. They are one of the two teams against whom Delhi Capitals haven’t won a game this season.

On the other hand, Delhi Capitals have faltered more on their way to the playoffs losing four games on a trot before winning the final league game to progress through to the playoffs. However, the inclusion of Daniel Sams has helped them strengthen their bowling and probably field the best bowling attack of IPL 2020.

IPL 2020: Qualifier 1 – Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals from 7:30 PM IST at Dubai International Cricket Stadium

Pitch Condition

The nature of wickets has been the most debated topic throughout the competition. Teams have failed to guess the pitch and it is likely to remain the same. The sluggish nature of the wicket could test the batsmen and the question mark over dew still remains.

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Predicted Playing XI

Mumbai Indians – Quinton de Kock (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile/James Pattinson, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Delhi Capitals – Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Daniel Sams, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje

Match Prediction – Who will win the match?

Mumbai Indians will have a slight advantage over Delhi Capitals as they come from the back of two wins over them in the league stages. Incidentally, they are one of the two teams to achieve the feat. Also, they have their bases covered well and quality finishers which give them the edge over the Shreyas Iyer-led side.

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