The second game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will be played between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI). MI has won 5 IPL titles so far whereas DC is still searching for its maiden title. Delhi Capitals got close to their maiden title in 2021 but lost to KKR in the all-important Qualifier 2. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians failed to make it to the playoffs in the last season, due to their poor NRR. There have been a lot of changes in both squads, and also a few notable retentions.
Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma will continue leading their respective franchises in this season as well. Ishan Kishan, the most expensive buy of IPL 2022 Mega Auctions, will be seen in Mumbai colors again. With the young talents, they also have the experience of Kieron Pollard and Jasprit Bumrah in their squad. For the Capitals, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Anrich Nortje would be unavailable for the first week of the season.
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However, DC also has a mix of young and experienced players in their squad like every year. Prithvi Shaw, Shardul Thakur, and Axar Patel are some of the crucial names for them in this season. Once they have their full-strength squad, they will be expected to be a team to beat in this tournament. There are also a couple of U-19 boys to look out for in the DC squad, Yash Dhull, and Vicky Ostwal.
Both teams have faced each other on 30 occasions, with Mumbai Indians winning 16 games while Delhi Capitals bucketing 14 of them. Another thriller is anticipated here, with both teams filled with big names in their ranks.
#1 Rohit Sharma vs Chetan Sakariya
Rohit Sharma will be expected to play his first match of IPL 2022 against DC. With 381 runs in 12 games, Sharma has had a below-par outing in the last season. He has only managed to score 1 half-century in the tournament. Chetan Sakariya will have the task to send back Sharma as early as possible. Sakariya had scalped 14 wickets in as many games last year. In absence of Anrich Nortje, he will play a crucial role for DC this season.
#2 Rishabh Pant vs Daniel Sams
Under the captaincy of Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals had reached the playoffs in IPL 2021. The wicket-keeper batsman has mustered 419 runs in 16 innings with 3 half-centuries. Since Pant bats at a lower-middle order, he is most likely to face MI pacer, Daniel Sams. The latter will be expected to play a crucial role for MI this season. With the pace-friendly conditions, Sams will get more assistance while bowling. Rishabh Pant has the ability to smash big shots while Sams can be a huge threat with his variantions.
#3 Prithvi Shaw vs Jasprit Bumrah
PrithviShaw has the ability to demolish any bowling line-up in the world and that makes him the most dangerous batsman in DC team. In IPL 2021, he failed to do much. However, for MI, Jasprit Bumrah will be given the responsibility of dismissing Shaw without a big score. Bumrah is a wicket-taking bowler for MI and that makes his battle with Shaw an interesting one. Then it will be exciting to watch if Bumrah manages to attack the youngster with his deliveries or not.
