MI vs DC Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2024 match?
The boos aimed towards Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya have been so intense that even Delhi Capitals (DC) director of cricket Sourav Ganguly was asked about it. Ganguly got to the point quickly, stating that it's not Hardik's fault that the franchise decided to appoint him the captain.
Whether that's true or not is unknown, since the terms of the star all-rounder's trade from the Gujarat Titans (GT) are still under wraps. But there's no doubt that the MI fans need to find it in themselves to support their captain, who could use some help from external factors to turn his miserable start to the season around.
Mumbai have suffered three losses in three games, and strangely, are rooted at the very bottom of the IPL 2024 points table. They couldn't have asked for a better opposition to try and get off the mark against, though, as Delhi aren't too far ahead of them. DC have one win from four matches and were thumped in a rather embarrassing fashion by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their last game.
The chasing team has won the last five head-to-head meetings between these two sides, with DC having three of those to their name. The fact that this is an afternoon fixture at the Wankhede Stadium will take the toss out of the equation to a certain extent, and Hardik will hope that the crowd don't show a great deal of animosity towards him.
Can MI notch up their first win of IPL 2024? Or will DC pile on the misery of their opponents and get back to winning ways?
IPL 2024, MI vs DC: Changes in order for home team
In a massive boost for MI, star batter Suryakumar Yadav is all set to return from a long-standing injury-enforced break. While he may not be at his absolute best right from the outset, the batting lineup, which has struggled so far, needs him.
Mumbai might need to make a couple of tweaks in the bowling department, too. Kwena Maphaka doesn't seem ready for the IPL level yet, and with Akash Madhwal emerging as a reliable option once again, the team can afford to either use their overseas slots elsewhere or bring back one of Luke Wood and Nuwan Thushara.
DC, meanwhile, will be without the injured Mitchell Marsh for this encounter. There is also a question mark over the availability of Kuldeep Yadav, who is dealing with a groin niggle. With concerns in both departments, the Capitals' best bet at winning would be to hope that David Warner and Prithvi Shaw somehow have a match-defining partnership.
MI are clearly the better side on paper, even though they are without a win so far in IPL 2024. They now have some key players available, while DC have a couple of pressing injury concerns.
Mumbai won't have a better chance to get off the mark this year. And at the end of the day, they're still a quality team.
Prediction: MI to win Match 20 of IPL 2024.