It’s No. 1 taking on No. 2, as reigning champions Mumbai battle Delhi in the final of the 2020 Indian T20 League.

Delhi will be playing in their first final while for Mumbai, it will be their sixth, in pursuit of a fifth title and a second on the trot.

Here are the key facts from the contest:

A tale of two halves for Rohit

Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma was stellar in the early half of the season, scoring 211 in six matches at a decent strike rate of 35.17 and a healthy strike rate of 145.52.

However, he has been abysmal over his last five games.

Sharma tallied just 53 runs, averaging 10.6 and a strike rate of only 82.81. To put that into context, his replacement at the top in absence, Ishan Kishan scored more runs in an innings than Sharma has in his last five matches thrice over Mumbai's last six matches.

Is the skipper saving the best for the last or will he continue his disappointing form in the final?

Jasprit Bumrah: Marcus Stoinis' nightmare

Marcus Stoinis was playing an absolute blinder for Delhi in Qualifier 1, keeping the game alive for his side with some sensational bowling in the middle overs, but Mumbai's Jasprit Bumrah knocked his middle out with the ball that he bowled in the death overs, ending the match as a contest.

Bumrah has now dismissed Stoinis thrice in five matches and the Australian has scored just 14 runs in 21 matches against the Indian speedster. Delhi maybe have a weapon in Stoinis, but Mumbai wield the perfect neutraliser in Bumrah.

Players to watch out for

Mumbai �?Trent Boult

While Jasprit Bumrah is deservedly taking all the plaudits, Trent Boult has quietly been sensational for Mumbai, picking up 22 wickets, the third most for Mumbai this season. Boult, who signed for Mumbai via a trade from Delhi this past offseason, loves playing against his former side and has picked up five wickets in his last two matches against the first-time finalists despite bowling just six overs in those two contests. Delhi's top order is susceptible to swing and Boult, one of the best swing bowlers on the planet, has exploited that to great effect and Mumbai will be hoping that he can do that in the final as well.

Delhi �?Shikhar Dhawan

It’s been Shikhar or bust for Delhi's batting order this season. The league’s second-highest runscorer has three ducks in his last seven matches but has scored two centuries and two fifties in the other four, meaning that if he gets off the mark, he usually converts it into a big score. Delhi have failed to score over 160 in the seven matches that Dhawan had been dismissed before reaching 30, illustrating the team's heavy reliance on their veteran opener. Dhawan’s wicket is half the game for Mumbai and it will be intriguing to see what approach the Delhi-native adopts against the side that dismissed him on a duck in Qualifier 1.

Stats to watch out

2: Mumbai’s Kieron Pollard needs two sixes to become the first player to hit 200 sixes for Mumbai in the Indian T20 League.  He will become the sixth player to hit 200 sixes in the league after Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

8: Rohit Sharma needs eight runs to complete 4,000 runs in the Indian T20 League for Mumbai. He will become the third player to score that many for one franchise after Suresh Raina (Chennai) and Virat Kohli (Bangalore).

21: Delhi’s Ravichandran Ashwin has picked up 21 wickets against Mumbai, the most he’s managed against a team in the league.

40: Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer needs 40 runs to become Delhi's all-time leading runscorer in the Indian T20 League.

200: Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma will play in his 200^th Indian T20 League match, joining Chennai’s MS Dhoni in achieving the feat. Fellow opener Quinton de Kock will also be playing his 200^th T20 match.

Writer’s pick

Mumbai simply have too much firepower with the ball for Delhi's batting line-up and possess immense batting depth that has and will hurt Delhi’s well-rounded bowling unit. It’s Mumbai's game to lose.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Indian T20 League

Hyderabad will take on Bangalore in the 2020 Indian T20 League’s Eliminator clash in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Both sides ended the league stage on 14 points and finished in the top four thanks to their net run rate. Neither side will want to lose the game as it would mark their elimination from the tournament, but Hyderabad will have momentum on their side, having emerged victorious in their last three matches.

Bangalore, on the other hand, will go into the contest slightly short on confidence, having lost their previous four matches, which included a five-wicket defeat against Hyderabad. However, Bangalore have plenty of game-changers in their ranks and will be hoping that they can rise to the challenge.

A look at the head-to-head between the teams indicates that there isn’t much to separate the two teams. One tied encounter aside, Hyderabad have won this fixture eight times, while Bangalore have emerged victorious on seven occasions. The two meetings between them earlier in the season saw each side win once but here we look at some potential difference-makers and key battles that could determine the winners of the Eliminator.

Yuzvendra Chahal versus Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson and Wriddhiman Saha

Yuzvendra Chahal is Bangalore’s leading wicket-taker this season, with 20 scalps to his name, and is averaging 19 in his last seven matches, having accounted for 10 wickets during that time. He has the second-most wickets by a spinner in the tournament and taken 15 wickets against Hyderabad overall, which is the second-most by a bowler against the 2016 champions and the most by a spinner.

Chahal’s also taken the most number of wickets (7) in Abu Dhabi �?the venue for the Eliminator �?this season and will be key when it comes to dismissing some of Hyderabad’s top-order batsmen, having enjoyed lots of success against them in the past. If he’s not getting wickets, you can rest assured that he can keep things tight against the likes of Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson and Wriddhiman Saha.

Batsmen	Innings	Runs Scored	Dismissals	Strike Rate
Manish Pandey	9	41	4	85.42
Kane Williamson	5	35	1	97.3
Wriddhiman Saha	6	46	2	121.05

Yuzvendra Chahal’s record against Hyderabad batsmen

Virat Kohli against Sandeep Sharma

Virat Kohli is second-highest run-scorer against Hyderabad having made 525 runs at their expense and he needs to score just 42 more against to surpass the leading run-getter against them, Shane Watson. The 2020 season has seen Kohli make 460 over the course of the tournament but the Bengaluru skipper will know that he can do much, going by his high standards.

His average of 46 this year isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, however, expectations are always sky high when it comes to a batsman of Kohli’s calibre. He will be eager to deliver when it matters most in the Eliminator but needs to be wary of the threat posed by Hyderabad’s Sandeep Sharma, who has dismissed Kohli more than any other bowler in the history of the Indian T20 League. In 12 innings, Sandeep has gotten rid of Kohli seven times.

Players to watch:

Bangalore �?Devdutt Padikkal

Bangalore’s leading scorer with 472 runs, Devdutt Padikkal has reached the fifty mark five times this season. He’s been in splendid touch, especially in Abu Dhabi where he has 212 runs at an average of 53 and a strike rate of 143.24 from four innings. Three of his five fifties have also come at the venue and Hyderabad will need to see his back soon if they want to avoid elimination at the hands of Bangalore.

Hyderabad �?Rashid Khan

Hyderabad’s leading wicket-taker with 19 scalps so far, Rashid Khan will be their key man against Bangalore’s high-quality batting line-up. The Afghanistan spinner has the best average (15.57) as well as economy (5.28) for bowlers this year and is among the top three bowlers for dot balls having bowled 153 dots. He’s also got the better of Kohli and AB de Villiers in the past and both batsmen have struggled to score freely against him.

Stats to watch out for:

1: Wicket needed for Sandeep Sharma to be the leading wicket-taker versus Bangalore in the Indian T20 League.

3: Wickets Dale Steyn needs to reach 100 Indian T20 League wickets.

5: Sixes David Warner needs to complete 200 Indian T20 League sixes.

8: Sixes Manish Pandey needs to complete 100 Indian T20 League sixes.

21: Runs Wriddhiman Saha needs to complete 2000 Indian T20 League runs.

Writer’s pick:

Bangalore undoubtedly have the stronger team on paper and should beat Hyderabad if everyone plays to their potential. However, history suggests that Bangalore have struggled to perform to their best in crunch encounters and the Eliminator has all the makings of a high-stakes contest. Furthermore, Hyderabad are on a winning run and seem to be clicking at the right time, which is why they are the most likely to win the Eliminator.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Manjunath Kiran

So this is where it gets busy! Defending champions Mumbai take on Delhi in the first playoff of the 2020 Indian T20 League with a hope of taking a step closer to the title. They have already completed a double over their Thursday’s opponents and will be riding high on confidence heading into the fixture.

Delhi, on the other hand, have had troubles, especially in the second half of the season, having gone through a four-match winless run to put a dent in their otherwise perfect season. Shreyas Iyer’s men have shown a colossal deficiency against Mumbai after having failed to defend their targets in both the games this season. Mumbai have the momentum on their side despite losing their final league stage game of the season. As far as their head-to-head count goes, history suggests the record champions are once again the favourites.

So as we approach the game, here are some key stats you need to take note of:

Mumbai bowlers a threat to Delhi

Delhi batsmen have had mixed fortunes against Mumbai’s pace attack. In their most recent encounter - a nine-wicket victory for Mumbai - both Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult picked three wickets each while maintaining an economy of under six. With Rohit Sharma absent from the game, opener Ishan Kishan and Quinton de Kock did enough to cruise to a comfortable victory.

Bumrah, for his part, has played 13 games against Delhi in the Indian T20 League, picking 14 wickets at an average of 26.29, while picking two 3+ wicket hauls. Krunal Pandya has eight wickets in nine games against them while Rahul Chahar has been a revelation, picking four in three games while having an economy of 5.83; the best by any Mumbai bowler against Delhi.

Mumbai bowlers against Delhi in Indian T20 League
Player	Matches	Wickets	Average	Economy	Strike Rate
Jasprit Bumrah	13	14	26.29	7.67	20.57
Krunal Pandya	9	8	18.38	6.35	17.38
Rahul Chahar	3	4	17.50	5.83	18.00
Trent Boult	2	4	14.25	7.13	12.00

The venue further provides Mumbai bowlers with an upper hand, with Bumrah and Boult combining for 11 wickets in three games in Dubai this season.

Players to watch:

Mumbai - Quinton de Kock

The South African opener scored a quickfire half-century in Mumbai’s first meeting with Delhi this season. Scoring at an average of 36.91, the 27-year-old has accumulated 443 runs in the ongoing campaign, but his record against Ravichandran Ashwin is something that poses some sort of worry. The southpaw has faced the Indian spinner in five Indian T20 League innings, scoring 61 runs off 50 balls, hitting at a strike rate of 122.00. While these figures are decent, to say the least, the fact that he has been dismissed thrice during the tenure is a thing to worry.

Delhi - Shreyas Iyer

Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer made a blistering start to the new season, but his returns took a hit during the business end of the campaign. The 25-year-old has posted two single-digit scores in his last three outings and his team would like him to improve upon this. But as he enters the fixture, a certain Rahul Chahar awaits at the gates with a superior head-to-head record against the Delhi captain. The pair have squared off in three Indian T20 League innings and Iyer has managed a mere seven runs off 11 balls while being dismissed twice by the spinner. 

Stats to watch out for:

2: Sixes Pollard needs to reach 200 sixes in Indian T20 League for Mumbai (Will be the first player to do so).

4: Wickets Nortje needs to reach 50 T20 wickets.

8: Runs Rohit needs to reach 4000 runs for Mumbai (Will be the first player to do so).

24.90: Iyer’s average vs Mumbai, his lowest against any current Indian T20 League team.

28: Runs De Kock needs to reach 1000 runs in the Indian T20 League for Mumbai.

46: Runs Suryakumar Yadav needs to reach 2000 runs in the Indian T20 League.

Writer’s pick:

As mentioned, momentum is well and truly on Mumbai’s side and given their experience in high-pressure games such as this, they are highly likely to come out on top. As for Delhi, their batsmen need to do the talking as the bowling contingent has done well enough to assert their claim. So when they meet on Thursday, we expect the defending champions to win the contest.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

In the final league stage match of the season, Hyderabad will take on Mumbai knowing nothing short of a win will suffice to salvage their season. Ahead of this crucial encounter, here are the key facts:

Can Rashid run circles around Mumbai’s aces?

In Quinton De Kock and Hardik Pandya, Mumbai have two batsmen that can change the course on their own, one at the top of the order and the other at the death. 

Both players are perennially among Mumbai’s most valuable players for what they bring to the table. Both batsmen love taking on the opposition, with De Kock striking the ball at 135 while Pandya doing so at 175, making them extremely dangerous, but neither has been able to get the better of Hyderabad’s ace Rashid Khan.

In two outings against the leggie, De Kock has scored just 14 runs in 22 balls while being dismissed once by the wily Afghani while Hardik has scored just 18 runs in 33 balls, losing his wicket twice to the leg-spinner.

Hyderabad will be wary of the threat De Kock and Pandya pose, but in Rashid Khan, they may just have the perfect neutraliser for the duo.

Rashid Khan vs de Kock and Pandya
Batsman	Innings	Runs Scored	Balls Faced	Dismissed	Strike Rate
Quinton de Kock	2	14	22	1	63.63
Hardik Pandya	5	18	33	2	54.54

Players to watch out for

Hyderabad �?Jason Holder

Since being drafted into the playing XI, experienced all-rounder Jason Holder has made a world of difference for Hyderabad with the ball. The big West Indian has picked eight wickets in just four matches and is also batting at a strike rate of 172.22, proving to be a difference-maker with both bat and ball. Hyderabad have won three of the four matches with Holder in the side and they will be hopeful that the all-rounder can deliver another big performance against one of the best teams in the league.

Mumbai �?Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav continues to be a beacon of consistency for Mumbai as he is closing on a third straight campaign with over 400 runs for the defending champions. The 30-year-old has struck three fifties this season and has proven himself to be a reliable batsman on difficult surfaces for his side. Surya has scored 131 runs in his last three matches and will be looking to cap off the league stage with another scintillating performance ahead of the playoffs. 

Stats to watch out: 

1: All-rounder Jason Holder needs just one more scalp to complete 100 wickets in T20s.

6: Mumbai Kieron Pollard and Hyderabad's David Warner need six sixes each to complete 200 sixes in the Indian T20 League.

6.22: Hyderabad's Rashid Khan has an economy rate of just 6.22 this season; the lowest in the league.

9: If Warner outscores Mumbai’s Rohit Sharma by nine runs in this contest, he will overtake the Indian opener and become the third-highest run-scorer in league history.

27: Kieron Pollard needs just 27 runs to become the second player to score 3000 runs for Mumbai in the league. Rohit Sharma is the only player to have achieved this feat thus far.

Writer’s pick

Mumbai have absolutely nothing to play for in this fixture and will likely rotate most of their starters and give chances to their fringe players ahead of the playoffs. Hyderabad have everything on the line and will be desperate to get the win to secure a playoff spot. Given that Mumbai will bench a large part of their regular playing XI, we back Hyderabad to win and secure a spot in the playoffs.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Indranil Mukherjee

It’s a win or bust situation on Monday when Delhi take on Bangalore in their final league stage match of the season at the Shiekh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Both teams are tied at 14 points a-piece and the victor will seal a berth in Qualifier 1 of the 2020 Indian T20 League playoffs. The loser, on the other hand, will be at the mercy of Mumbai, who take on Hyderabad, the team that is currently in fifth and only needs a victory to guarantee themselves a place in the top 4.

Neither team will like to pin their hopes on a team that has already sealed the top spot and will be looking to make changes to their playing XI ahead of the playoffs. With both Delhi and Bangalore treating this as a must-win game, here are the key facts from the contest:

The Morris magic has faded

When South African Chris Morris returned from injury and was inserted into the starting XI by the team management, Bangalore saw a turn in form and won three of the first four matches that the veteran featured in.

Morris too was brilliant with the ball, picking nine wickets in four matches at an economy rate of just 5.25 and was proving to be the game-changer for Bangalore.

However, over the last four matches, Morris has struggled and so have Bangalore. The South African all-rounder has picked up just two wickets in his last four matches and been particularly expensive in his last three matches, giving away more than nine runs an over in each match.

Morris' slump in form has coincided with Bangalore, illustrating how crucial he is to his team. It remains to be seen if the all-rounder can find his touch again and deliver the goods for his side.

Players to watch out for

Delhi �?Kagiso Rabada

What seemed a foregone conclusion this season has suddenly become a two-horse race. Kagiso Rabada was well clear of any other competitor in the race for the Purple Cap, but just two wickets in his last three matches and eight in his last four for Mumbai's Jasprit Bumrah has seen the two tied at the top with 23 wickets a-piece. Rabada's downturn in form has also seen a Delhi collapse with the team losing four on the trot. Rabada’s performance directly impacts Delhi's fortunes, hence it is key that the South African brings his A-game on Monday.

Bangalore �?Devdutt Padikkal

After starting the season with three fifties in four matches, Bangalore opener Devdutt Padikkal slightly fizzled out through the middle stage of the season but the youngster has found his groove again and been in good form off-late. His 74-run knock against Mumbai was an innings of high class against one of the best bowling units in the league and also saw him climb to fifth on the Orange Cap list. It’s not exactly a do-or-die game for Bangalore, but it certainly is a match of huge significance and the team will be hoping that their breakthrough star can be the difference-maker on the day.

Stats to watch out for

1: Bangalore pacer Navdeep Saini needs just one wicket to complete 50 scalps in T20s.

3: Bangalore’s South African speedster Dale Steyn is just three wickets shy of 100 in the Indian T20 League.

4: Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli needs four sixes to complete 300 sixes in T20s.

51: Rishab Pant needs 51 runs to complete 3000 runs in T20s.

868: Virat Kohli has scored 868 runs against Delhi in the Indian T20 League, the most he’s managed against any team in the league.

Writer’s pick

Delhi have lost four on the trot and are struggling with both bat and ball. Bangalore too have lost their last three but their batting line-up has been in rather good touch of late. Going off that, we back Bangalore to win this contest and seal a berth in Qualifier 1.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

Kolkata and Rajasthan will go head-to-head in both teams' final match of the season, as the two will fight for their playoff lives in Sunday's encounter.

Both teams are level on points at 12 but will need a mathematical miracle to stay alive in the competition. However, before they pray for results elsewhere to go their way, both teams need a win to get to 14 points and keep themselves in contention.

Here are the key facts from the contest:

Can Narine stifle Samson?

Sanju Samson is the definition of bipolar. On his day, the talented batsman can single-handedly massacre a bowling unit but most days, Samson will play a loose shot and hit the showers early.

While Samson has been hot and cold throughout his career, his battle against Kolkata’s Sunil Narine has only gone one way and it is the West Indian's.

In nine matches against Narine, Samson has scored just 36 runs in 45 balls and has been dismissed by the veteran spinner. Given his recent form, Kolkata would be wary of Samson but they have the perfect weapon in their arsenal to neutralize his threat.

Players to watch out for:

Kolkata �?Varun Chakravarty

While Sunil Narine and Pat Cummins were expected to be Kolkata’s aces with the ball, it has mystery spinner Varun Chakravarty that has done the damage with the ball for his side. The 29-year-old has picked 15 wickets this season at a good economy rate of 7.27 and his form of late has been absolutely stellar. Chakravarty has picked nine wickets in his last five matches and Kolkata will be hopeful that he can be the difference-maker in their last match of the season.

Rajasthan �?Ben Stokes

Opening the innings has done wonders for Ben Stokes. The Englishman scored an unbeaten century against table-toppers Mumbai, guiding his side to victory and then followed that up with a sensational half-century against Punjab that helped set the team’s tempo with the bat. In addition to his 50, Stokes also picked up a couple of wickets after finally being cleared to bowl by the team’s medical staff. Rajasthan will be looking towards their talisman to guide them to a win and keep their season alive.

Stats to watch out for

3: Rajasthan's Shreyas Gopal needs three wickets to complete 50 wickets in the Indian T20 League.

5: While Rajasthan have won five games out of six while chasing, Kolkata have won five out of six batting first.

38: In-form Kolkata batsman Nitish Rana needs 38 runs to complete 2,500 runs in T20s.

50: This will be Steve Smith’s 50th match for Rajasthan in the Indian T20 League.

80: Dinesh Karthik needs 80 runs to complete 1000 runs in the league for Kolkata.

Writer’s Pick

Rajasthan are coming into this contest on the back of two successive wins against two of the most in-form sides in the league. Kolkata on the other hand suffered, what seems to be, a season-ending loss against the worst team in the league. It's Rajasthan for the win in this contest.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar

It has been a nightmarish season for Chennai in the 2020 edition of the Indian T20 League. From having two of their star players in Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh out even before the first match to facing their first-ever failure to make the playoffs, it’s been a rough road for the three-time champions.

However, there’s still a chance to go out with a bang, in their final match of the season on Sunday against a Punjab side that has to win and, thanks to a negative NRR, win big to assure their playoff spot.

Chennai to finally end their misery or go out with a bang?

Chennai is currently placed at the bottom of the table, which is a very rare sight in the Indian T20 League. This season, they have won just five matches and have 10 points from 13 games played. However, while exiting the season with a win will be a positive takeaway, they will have still won only six matches this season, which is the least matches won in an Indian T20 League season by Chennai.

Chennai at different venues in Indian T20 League 2020
Venue	Played	Won	Lost	Win %
Abu Dhabi	3	1	2	33.33
Dubai	7	4	3	57.14
Sharjah	3	0	3	0

Sunday’s match against Punjab will be the last game for Chennai this season and the last time these two teams met. On that occasion, Chennai defeated Punjab by a 10-wicket margin. That was at Dubai, where Chennai have the highest winning percentage, winning four of their seven games played. However, Sunday’s match will be held at Abu Dhabi, where they have a 33 percent win record this season.

Players to watch:

Chennai �?Sam Curran

While this Indian T20 League season was not a good one for Chennai, they sure have one positive takeaway and that is the outstanding performance of Sam Curran, who has been a highly impressive all-rounder for them. He has scored 186 runs off 141 balls faced at a strike rate of 131.91 for this season and batted at various positions as per the requirement of the team.

Apart from his batting, he has contributed with his bowling as well. With 13 wickets scalped this season, he is the leading wicket-taker for Chennai in Indian T20 League. He has bowled most of his overs in Powerplay and been economical but it's not where he shines, having only picked up three wickets in that phase of the innings, while 62 percent of his total wickets have come during the death overs (16-20), where he has been the leading wicket-taker for Chennai, scalping eight wickets and has the second-best bowling SR in death overs after Dwayne Bravo (min 30 balls). Who better to watch out for in their final match of the season than Curran then?

Punjab �?Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi has been a revelation for Punjab this season, picking up 12 wickets - the second-most by a bowler this season. However, he has been a bit under par in the last six matches, going wicketless in three matches. Let us see what has changed as the season has progressed.

Ravi Bishnoi First 7 vs Last 6 matches
First 7 matches	Metrics	Last 6 matches
8	Wkts	4
26.5	Avg.	31.25
7.85	Econ	6.25
20.25	SR	30
3	0w	3
2	3w+	0

He has picked up four wickets at an economy of 6.25 but failed to produce a three-wicket innings in the last six innings. Moreover, his average has increased from 26.5 in the first seven matches to 31.25 in the last six matches.

Bishnoi will therefore be one to keep an eye on in this critical match for Punjab, along with fellow spin twin Murugan Ashwin, both of whom, it has to be said, have been pivotal in Punjab’s success so far.

Stats to watch out for:

2: Times Chris Gayle has been dismissed by Karn Sharma in four balls faced

4: Number of sixes required by Chris Gayle to become the leading six-hitter for Punjab in the Indian T20 League

5: Wickets needed by Mitchell Santner to complete 100 T20 wickets

15: Runs needed by Ruturaj Gaikwad to complete 1000 T20 runs

23: Runs required by Nicholas Pooran to reach 3000 T20 runs

107: Runs required by KL Rahul to 2000 runs for Punjab, will be the first Indian and 2nd overall to reach this milestone

Writer’s pick

While Chennai are no doubt the sentimental favourites, it'd take a brave soul to bet against a stout Punjab side that's chomping at the bit to earn their playoff pass on the night, and so Punjab it is.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

While Hyderabad are still in the hunt for a playoff spot, holding 10 points to their name after 12 games, in Bangalore, they are up against one of the best teams of the 2020 edition. Bangalore are stronger and a far more balanced side than Warner's squad and are in good form to win this encounter.

That said, while Bangalore were arguably one of the top teams of the lot a couple of matches ago, two losses on the trot have left them seeking a victory in one of their two remaining matches. The first of them, against Hyderabad, will be one they'll be looking forward to, having thumped Hyderabad soundly earlier, and sealing up a playoff spot.

Hyderabad will hope to continue middle overs choke over Bangalore

Hyderabad face Bangalore, hoping to continue their dominance in the middle overs. Hyderabad have taken 33 wickets from overs 7 to 16, joint-most by a team in the middle overs. They also have an economy of 6.76 - best by a team in the middle overs - and the most dot balls (252) and have conceded the least boundaries (69) in the middle overs.

Hyderabad are the only team along with Bangalore who have four bowlers with less than an economy of seven in the middle overs. However, Bangalore have the least strike rate (114.00%) in the middle overs, and their average in the middle overs is the second least (22.79), highlighting their struggles in the middle overs in Indian T20 League 2020. Bangalore’s tally of 72 boundaries is also the least by a team in the middle overs of the Indian T20 League 2020.

Players to watch:

Bangalore �?Virat Kohli

Although he started off the season cold, Virat Kohli soon shook it off and returned to his expected form to help boost Bangalore into a legitimate playoff-hopeful this season. Along with his good mate AB de Villiers, they have shouldered Bangalore, particularly during the death overs. Kohli leads the way among Bangalore's top four run-scorers when it comes to runs scored in their wins, with 270 at a strike-rate of 138.46. He remained not out in four out of the six innings that Bangalore won, while he has been dismissed in all five innings that Bangalore have lost thus far, suggesting the importance of Virat being there at the end for Bangalore. However, while AB has been striking it at over 150, Kohli has struggled in the death overs where Bangalore have failed to win and that is something Kohli will be working on improving upon in the match against Hyderabad.

Here's how Kohli has fared against Hyderabad's bowlers so far this tournament, with Sandeep Sharma dismissing the Bangalore skipper the most number of times.

Bowler	Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	S/R
Sandeep Sharma	11	66	46	6	143.47
Rashid Khan	3	18	19	1	94.73
Basil Thampi	2	16	16	1	100
Shahbaz Nadeem	6	56	50	0	112
Siddharth Kaul	2	18	13	0	138.46

Hyderabad - Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha, throughout his Indian T20 League career, has excelled as an opener, scoring 492 runs as an opener at an average of 28.94. He has a strike rate of 146.42 as an opener. Therefore, it was no surprise that when Hyderabad opened with Saha for the first time in Indian T20 League 2020, they reaped the rewards as Saha excelled alongside Warner, scoring 87 runs - the highest score by a player in the match. It was the second-highest score by a Hyderabad player in Indian T20 League 2020 and Saha’s brilliance helped Hyderabad score 200+ for only the second time in Indian T20 League 2020.

Saha has a strike rate of 137.50 in Powerplay among players who have faced more than 300 balls in Indian T20 League, and he ranks eighth in that regard, better than the likes of Gayle, KL Rahul and Du Plessis. With Saha opening, Hyderabad can fit in Williamson at No. 4 to solve their middle-order woes. Williamson has been Hyderabad’s best middle-order player, scoring 163 runs at an average of 40.75, best by a Hyderabad player, and will be one to keep an eye on against Bangalore.

Stats to watch out for:

3: Wickets needed by Holder to reach 100 T20 Wickets.

4: Runs De Villiers needs to reach 9000 runs in T20s.

3: Steyn needs 3 wickets to reach 100 Indian T20 League wickets.

6: Times Sandeep Sharma has dismissed Kohli, joint-most along with Nehra in Indian T20 League.

100: Rashid Khan’s average vs Bangalore in the last 3 matches, he has taken just 1 wicket in the last 3 matches conceding 100 runs.

Writer’s pick

Although they are coming off two losses in a row, every team have a few bad patches in their campaign and it's the right time for Bangalore to brush it off with a win over Hyderabad, who will be giving their all but even that will likely not be enough. 

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Manjunath Kiran

Three defeats on the trot and Shreyas Iyer’s Delhi now suddenly find themselves walking on thin ice. With only two games to go, they need at least one win to qualify for the playoffs of this year’s Indian T20 League and judging by the line of fixtures that awaits, it certainly is going to be on arduous task, to say the least.

Up next for them is a stern test against Mumbai; a team that got the better of them by five wickets the last time these two met. The record Indian T20 League champions have got nothing to lose, having already qualified for the playoffs, but they will spare no expense in order to spoil one’s party. The two teams have always been on the neck of each other as their head-to-head count suggests (12 wins from 25 for Delhi and 13 for Mumbai), but on Saturday, Delhi will play for intent and expect nothing less than an exhilarating display. 

Having said that, here we look at some key stats that are certain to affect the course of the game:

Krunal keeping Delhi in check

Mumbai all-rounder Krunal Pandya has taken a mere five wickets in 12 games this season at an average of 55.60 and an economy rate of 7.51. The figures might very well not ooze any sort of confidence, but there certainly is another side to his bowling. Krunal has actively been used during the Powerplay overs this season as well and during this period, he has managed to keep things tight, bowling at an economy of 6.22; the best he has managed in his last three seasons.

The economy of 6.22 during the Powerplay overs is, in fact, the fourth-best amongst spinners who have bowled a minimum of 30 balls in this period this season. As far as Delhi are concerned, it is safe to say Krunal loves playing against them. He picked 2/26 in the reverse fixture this season, and his team would want more of the same from him on Saturday. Furthermore, his average and economy of 16.75 and 15.1 respectively against Delhi is the best among all the active teams. Here is the detailed breakdown:

Team	Inns	Runs	Balls	Wkts	4s	6s	Avg	Econ rate	SR	Balls/boundary
Chennai	7	164	138	7	10	8	23.42	7.13	19.7	7.66
Delhi	8	134	121	8	12	2	16.75	6.64	15.1	8.64
Punjab	9	226	162	4	15	7	56.5	8.37	40.5	7.36
Kolkata	10	199	175	6	16	6	33.16	6.82	29.2	7.95
Rajasthan	6	157	108	4	13	5	39.25	8.72	27	6
Bangalore	10	237	216	9	14	5	26.33	6.58	24	11.36
Hyderabad	7	107	96	3	4	2	35.66	6.68	32	16

Table: Krunal Pandya against active Indian T20 League teams.

And last, but not least, Krunal is just 14 runs away from scoring 1000 Indian T20 League runs. A whopping 23.83 % of his runs have come against Delhi (235/986).

Players to watch:

Delhi - Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant, who missed Delhi’s preview game against Mumbai this season, is yet to hit the ground running, having scored 253 runs at a strike rate of 115.00. This is the worst strike rate he has managed in any Indian T20 League season. In nine games so far, the 23-year-old has crossed the 30-run mark on just five occasions. A further bifurcation of his disappointing season reveals his struggle against spin bowling. Out of his eight dismissals so far, five have come against spin while three against pace.

Spin/Pace	Runs	Balls	Dismissal	Dots	4s	6s	Avg	SR	Dot %	Balls/dis	Balls/boundary
Pace	161	114	3	41	19	5	53.66	141.22	35.96	38	4.95
Spin	92	106	5	43	6	2	18.4	86.79	40.56	21.2	13.25

Table: Rishabh Pant in Indian T20 League 2020.

And while he has managed to score runs against the pacers, he has particularly failed to do so against spin, striking at a lowly rate of 86.79 with a dot ball percentage of 40.56%. As he gears up to face Mumbai, expect him to put extra effort against pacers as his record against Jasprit Bumrah is truly underwhelming, having been dismissed four times against him.

Mumbai - Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav scored a quick-fire 32-ball 53 against Delhi last time out, and judging by the form he is enjoying at the moment, expect Delhi to be on their toes on Saturday. Since the 2018 edition of the Indian T20 League, Mumbai batsmen have aggregated 6844 runs and a whopping 1298 (19%) have been scored by Suryakumar Yadav; the biggest contribution by any other player from the team.

Most runs in Indian T20 League since 2018
Player	Runs
KL Rahul	1847
Shikhar Dhawan	1489
Rishabh Pant	1425
Virat Kohli	1418
Suryakumar Yadav	1298

Accumulating 1298 runs means he is the fifth-highest run-scorer in the league since 2018 and is the only uncapped player in the list that has the likes of KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli. Mumbai play Delhi in Dubai, a venue where Suryakumar has duly struggled. In two games played at Dubai, the Mumbai batsman has scored two ducks, and will look get past the voodoo on Saturday.

Stats to watch out for:

200th: Mumbai will be playing their 200th Indian T20 League game, the first team to play 200 matches in the competition.

0: Mumbai are yet to win a match at Dubai in Indian T20 League, they have played 5 matches and have lost all 5.

1: Six Kishan needs to reach 100 T20 6s

11: Runs Pant needs to complete 2000 Indian T20 League runs, the third player to reach this landmark for Delhi in the competition.

3/4 : 3 times in 4 innings Quinton de Kock has been dismissed by R Ashwin in Indian T20 League.

Writer’s pick:

Mumbai are coming on the back of an inspiring victory over Rajasthan, while Delhi seems to have exhausted all of their confidence following their 88-run defeat against Hyderabad. On Saturday, we expect Mumbai to do a double over Delhi, given that their players have the momentum on their side and are enjoying a great run of form.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

Friday’s Indian T20 League 2020 fixture between Punjab and Rajasthan promises to be a high stakes contest with plenty riding on the game for both teams. Punjab are in a good position to make the playoffs after winning five consecutive games but they will be wary about any slip up that gives Kolkata and Rajasthan an opportunity to capitalize and seize the initiative in the race for a top-four finish.

Rajasthan, on the other hand, simply must win the match against Punjab to keep their bleak playoff aspirations alive. The season 1 champions currently find themselves sixth in the standings and must win their remaining two league matches this season, while hoping results elsewhere go in their favour to qualify for the playoffs. They won their last match in convincing fashion against Mumbai and will be hoping for more of the same when they square off with Punjab in Abu Dhabi.

Rajasthan can also take heart from the fact that they share a superior head-to-head over Punjab. Besides the one tie between the teams in their 20 encounters against each other, Rajasthan have won 11 and Punjab claimed victory in eight. The previous match between them this season also saw Rajasthan win and here’s a closer look at the key players and factors to look forward to in what’s a crunch encounter.

Steve Smith needs to step up and contribute

The Rajasthan skipper’s form has been a bit hot and cold over the course of the season. Second on the leaderboard for most runs scored by a Rajasthan player, Steve Smith has made 276 runs at an average of 25.09 and a strike rate of 129.57, making three half-centuries along the way. Smith’s average so far this season is his worst ever for a single edition of the Indian T20 League.

While his contribution to the team may not look as bad as is being made out at first glance, a closer inspection into his runs this season reveals that the Australian has gone off the boil with the bat in Rajasthan’s last six matches. During Smith’s first six matches of the season, his strike rate was 19% better than it is in his last six games. His average has also fallen slightly in his last six games, while his balls per boundary rate has increased by 2.92 during the same period. Smith’s been dismissed 10 times by pacers this year and the Australian has fallen within the first 10 balls of his innings on five occasions so far.

Steve Smith in Indian T20 League 2020
First Six Matches	Metrics	Last Six Matches
157	Runs	119
110	Balls	103
26.17	Average	23.80
142.73	Strike Rate	115.53
2	50s	1
15	4s	11
7	6s	2
5.00	Balls per boundary	7.92

Players to watch:

Punjab �?Chris Gayle

Punjab have looked like a different unit altogether since Chris Gayle’s introduction to the side. He guided Punjab to victory by scoring 51 off 29 balls at a strike rate of 175.86 in their last match against Kolkata and has made 177 runs at an average of 35.40 despite playing at an unfavourable number three position since coming into the team. Perhaps the biggest benefit since he came into the team is that he’s solved the troubles that Punjab had at the number three position. Prior to Gayle, Punjab had used five different players at number three with none of them playing more than two innings. They had scored just 85 runs at an average 14.17 and a strike rate of 117.04, while managing only 10 boundaries. Gayle, meanwhile, has a strike rate of 138.04 at number three with the help of 24 boundaries and has dominated the spinners this year, going at a strike rate of 158.49, which isn’t good news for Rajasthan’s two leg spinners.

Rajasthan �?Ben Stokes

The English all-rounder may have joined the Rajasthan team late, but that hasn’t prevented him from making an impact on the side’s performances this year. He’s played six matches this season and has scored 217 runs at an average of 43.40 and a strike rate of 133.12. His performance in the last match against Mumbai, in particular, will fill both him and the entire team with confidence. Chasing a target of 196 against table-toppers Mumbai, Ben Stokes took the match away from the reigning champions before they even knew it. Opening the batting for Rajasthan, Stokes hit an unbeaten 60-ball 107 to help his side claim an easy win. Rajasthan will be hoping more of the same from Stokes, who has hit 28 4s for them this year �?more than any other player from the team. Even though he’s yet to claim a wicket this season, Stokes is capable of making his presence felt with the ball as well.

Stats to watch out for:

1: Run needed by Glenn Maxwell to reach 1500 runs in the Indian T20 League.

2: 6s required by Nicholas Pooran to reach 200 T20 6s.

7: 6s required by Chris Gayle to reach 1000 T20 6s.

27: Runs needed by Chris Gayle to reach 13500 runs in T20s.

45: Runs required by Nicholas Pooran to reach 3000 runs in T20s.

339: Runs Jos Buttler has scored versus Punjab, his most against any team in the Indian T20 League. 

Writer’s pick:

While Punjab may go into the game as favourites, Rajasthan will be confident about getting a result themselves. However, unlike Rajasthan, Punjab look like a more balanced unit at the moment with plenty of individuals doing their bit for the team, making them the likelier winner on Friday.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain