MI vs DC IPL Match Prediction: Who will win today's Mumbai vs Delhi IPL 2022 match?
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be watching with bated breath when the Mumbai Indians (MI) take on the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 69th match of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, May 21.
The equation is simple - an MI win would see RCB go through as the fourth-placed team, while DC's qualification hopes are in their own hands. With the five-time champions expected to rest and rotate for their final league-stage encounter of a disappointing campaign, you'd be forgiven for not having much optimism for a Bangalore playoff appearance.
Nevertheless, there are a few holes in the DC camp that MI could exploit. Prithvi Shaw continues to remain on the sidelines even though Sarfaraz Khan shone in a new role in the previous game, while the Capitals middle order still wears a brittle look. Captain Rishabh Pant, despite appearing to be in excellent nick, hasn't quite played an innings of note.
MI, on the other hand, will want to try out a host of new players in an inconsequential game. Names like Arjun Tendulkar and Dewald Brevis might be part of the playing XI against the Capitals, who have everything to play for.
IPL 2022 Match Prediction: MI vs DC
The battle of the opening combinations could well decide the fate of the 69th match. DC haven't had a great time in that department of late, with Mitchell Marsh having to resuscitate the innings after coming in at No. 3. David Warner is on the back of a first-ball duck, but the experienced opener is in excellent nick. MI aren't known to take a heap of wickets in the powerplay, so they could be on the backfoot very early in the piece against DC.
Conversely, Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma haven't set the tournament on fire but have come up with some decent performances over the last few matches. DC's powerplay bowling has been hot and cold in IPL 2022, with Anrich Nortje yet to hit peak form and Shardul Thakur having a few expensive games. The Capitals' spin options have suffered a slight dip in form, although Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel have shown sparks of promise recently.
Overall, while MI have every chance of spoiling DC's party if they take a few early wickets, the composition of their side remains a massive question mark. If Mumbai choose to rest names like Jasprit Bumrah, they may not have the necessary firepower to conjure an RCB qualification. As things stand, the Capitals are in pole position to make another playoff appearance.
Prediction: DC to win Match 69 of IPL 2022