Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) look to extend their title rush in their IPL opener against Delhi Capitals (DC) as Rohit Sharma-led side lost the toss and were invited to bat first.
As far as MI's playing XI is concerned, they handed out the debut caps to Tilak Verma, Tim David, M Ashwin, Riley Meredith and Tymal Mills. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant-led DC, who are eyeing their maiden title, handed debut caps to Mandeep Singh, Tim Seifert, Rovman Powell and Tim Seifert.
"We're going to bowl first. Very excited. The first thing we wanted to was to win the toss (and then he goes on to name his XI). I think the wicket looks nice to bat. In domestic cricket we have played enough here and we'll be fine," DC Capitals Rishabh Pant said before the match
"We would have bowled first as well. It is a fresh pitch and we don't know what to expect. It looks like a good batting track and there would be a bit of movement because of the green tinge. Whenever we play in Mumbai, we have to adjust quickly because the wickets are fresh. There are some restrictions in terms of capacity, but always nice to some crowds in," MI skipper Rohit Sharma said.
Head to Head
Mumbai Indians have won 16 out of the 30 matches played against Delhi Capitals while the Capitals have won the other 14.
Meanwhile, DC skipper Rishabh Pant needs just 2 runs to become the first player to score 2500 runs for the franchise in IPL history. Pant is the leading run-getter of all time for the Delhi Capitals. Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma will complete 130 matches as captain when he leads Mumbai Indians out on the field against Delhi on Sunday. He will become the third-most experienced captain in IPL behind only MS Dhoni (204) and Virat Kohli (140).
Pitch report:
Another red soil pitch. Plenty of grass on the pitch and the breeze could aid seamers. But dew could be a factor.
Delhi Capitals' Playing XI: Prithvi Shaw, Tim Seifert, Mandeep Singh, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rovman Powell, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Kamlesh Nagarkoti.
Mumbai Indians' Playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Anmolpreet Singh, Kieron Pollard, Tim David, Daniel Sams, Murugan Ashwin, Tymal Mills, Jasprit Bumrah, Basil Thampi.
