IPL 2020, MI vs DC: 3 player battles to watch out for in Qualifier 1

With the battle for play-off qualification going down to the wire, the very last match of the league stage saw IPL 2020 finally get its top four. The top two ranked teams among them, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals will face off in the first Qualifier in Dubai on Thursday.

Despite being thrashed by 10 wickets by Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last league match in IPL 2020, Mumbai will go into Qualifier 1 as favorites. The defending champions will be back to full-strength against Delhi on Thursday.

It's noteworthy that Mumbai have defeated Delhi in both the meetings between the two in IPL 2020. In the first contest, MI got the better of DC by five wickets and emerged victorious by a massive margin of nine wickets in the second meeting. Man-to-man as well, Mumbai boasts a superior outfit in comparison to Delhi.

As the underdog DC look to turn the tables on MI, here are three fascinating player battles that could decide the first finalist of IPL 2020.

#1. Quinton de Kock vs Anrich Nortje

Quinton de Kock

With Rohit Sharma missing the majority of the last few matches of IPL 2020 due to injury, left-hander Quinton de Kock has taken over the mantle of senior opener, and has performed splendidly in the role. In 14 matches, de Kock has amassed 443 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 138 with four fifties.

However, he has failed to deliver in the last four matches, with scores of 6,18,26 ,and 25. With the mystery over Rohit Sharma's fitness still very much ongoing, it will be imperative for de Kock to lift right when it matters most.

Anrich Nortje

At the start of the innings, de Kock will come face-to-face with his South African national teammate Anrich Nortje. While Kagiso Rabada has been exceptional over the last year, fast bowler Nortje has been one of the surprise packages of IPL 2020. His pace has proved too hot to handle for a number of talented batsmen.

In fact, it was his bowling effort of 3 for 33 against RCB that helped lift DC into the IPL 2020 play-offs. Nortje is among the leading wicket-takers this season, picking up 19 wickets from 13 games. He will have the unenviable task of trying to unsettle de Kock early in the innings.

#2. Shikhar Dhawan vs Jasprit Bumrah

Shikhar Dhawan

Delhi Capitals' fortunes have literally risen and fallen with Shikhar Dhawan in IPL 2020. The opener's form has been inconsistent throughout the tournament. After an average start, he picked up his game to post two fifties and two hundreds in four consecutive games.

To top it off, the left-hander remained unbeaten in three of the four innings. This grand phase was followed by underwhelming scores of 6,0 and 0 before a much-needed half-century in DC’s must-win IPL 2020 encounter against RCB. Delhi will need the run-scoring version of Dhawan to take strike when they meet Mumbai in the first qualifier.

Jasprit Bumrah

Dhawan’s tussle with MI pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah at the start of the innings could be match-defining. As mentioned earlier, every time Dhawan has failed in IPL 2020, Delhi have struggled to put runs on the board. As such, Bumrah will look to go the extra mile to scalp Dhawan early, as a few other teams have successfully done.

Despite missing the last game, Bumrah will not be short of confidence given his success in this year's tournament. The Indian international has picked up 23 wickets in 13 matches at a strike rate of 13.56 and an economy rate of under seven. As an attacking batsman, Dhawan will look to take on Bumrah, and whoever wins the contest will put their team in the driver's seat.

#3. Rishabh Pant vs Rahul Chahar

Rishabh Pant

Delhi’s wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant has not been in great form this IPL season. However, he is an impact player, and even a couple of standout performances in the remaining fixtures can make the tournament a memorable one for him.

The normally aggressive batsman has been rather subdued in IPL 2020 so far. Pant has looked to preserve his wicket, and strategy has not worked out for him. It is imperative that Pant finds the right balance in his batting through which his innings can have the desired impact.

Rahul Chahar

MI leg-spinner Rahul Chahar has done a fine job in this year's IPL. He has been the perfect foil to the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. Coming into bowl at the middle of the innings, he has managed to tie down the opposition and has been rewarded with some key wickets.

Chahar is most likely to come across Pant in the first Qualifier. An unsure Pant should give the leggie an advantage. However, if Pant comes in and bats with the right frame of mind, we could have an intriguing battle of equals.