IPL 2021, MI vs DC: 3 player battles to watch out for

Tied at four points each, the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) square off against each other at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday, April 20.

Rohit Sharma's men have played all their matches at the same venue and won their last two games. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant's boys travel to Chennai on the back of a loss followed by a win in their last two matches that were played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Mumbai have a favorable head-to-head record against Delhi (16-12) and will be looking forward to consolidating their dominance.

The player battles, however, have been a different issue.

Delhi have made a few tweaks to their side while Mumbai have preserved their well-sported pace juggernaut, a balanced spin-attack, and a top-class batting unit.

We take a look at some of the player battles ahead of their first encounter in IPL 2021.

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1. Rohit Sharma vs Chris Woakes

Chris Woakes has been an impactful bowler for DC with five wickets from his three games thus far. He will be up against Rohit Sharma, who is yet to score a fifty in the league this season.

It is unnatural to find the Mumbai skipper absent from the list of top Orange Cap contenders three matches into his season. He might find himself under pressure, as well as motivated to perform.

Woakes comes into this edition of the IPL with 30 wickets to his name and an economy rate of 8.97. While he might come across as expensive, his nagging pace and line have got the better of batsmen on many occasions.

This matchup promises to be a great contest.

Get the updated IPL orange cap 2021 list here.

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2. Shikhar Dhawan vs Jasprit Bumrah

With the fine form Shikhar Dhawan is in, his contest against Jasprit Bumrah is a much anticipated one in this clash.

Mumbai's ace bowler has picked up just three wickets this season in the IPL.

Meanwhile, Dhawan comes into the game on the back of a brutal 92 against the Punjab Kings and will look to keep his good run going.

Getting rid of an in-form Dhawan would expose a relatively fragile middle-order in the Delhi outfit. And that's precisely what Bumrah would be aiming for.

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3. Ravichandran Ashwin vs Hardik Pandya

A bowler with immense experience across all formats will take on one of the best all-rounders in recent times. Ravichandran Ashwin has never dismissed Hardik Pandya. This season might be the first time Ashwin gets the better of the Baroda star.

Ashwin has 139 wickets in the IPL at a miserly economy rate of 6.89, while Hardik is yet to take off in this edition of the league.