International T20 League

Eliminator: MIE vs DC

Preview

It's a do-or-die situation in the International T20 League on Thursday when MIE will face off against DC in the Eliminator match. The winner of this match will enter the Qualifier 2 of this league. Both sides will take on each other on Thursday, 09 February 2023 at 07:30 PM IST from Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah.

MIE ended their league campaign in 3rd place with 11 points in the 10 matches which included 5 wins and 4 losses and 1 net run-rate point. Whereas, DC finish their league tally in 4th place with 9 points in the 10 matches that the side has played, including 4 wins and 5 losses and 1 net run-rate point.

For MIE batting inconsistency will going to be a big concern heading into this match against DC. MIE has a good record at Sharjah Cricket Stadium with 2 wins from 2 matches. In their last outing in Sharjah, MIE scored 241 runs batting first and won the match by a huge margin of 157 runs against the Vipers. Since that match, there have been 2 games at this venue and the team batting first didn’t manage a big enough total. 

MIE and DC both sides have some power-hitting finishers in the lower middle order which can help both sides to take the match to the last ball. The Windies' hard hitters of the ball Pollard and Pooran in the MIE camp and Rovman Powell and Yusuf Pathan in the DC lineup are the key batters who can change the match scenario at any moment. DC has backed Uthappa for quite a long time now and the veteran batter has very low returns. Uthappa's experience can be crucial in a KO game like this but his strike rate isn’t that impressive for an opening batter. He might be replaced by Lankan Wicket-keeper Dickwella.

Nicholas Pooran led the MIE in their last league stage game where the side suffered a 7-wicket loss against DC while posting a target of 165 for Dubai batters which they accomplished in the 19th over of the game. Windies' all-rounder and the captain of the side Pollard should be back on the side for the Eliminator. Not only is Pollard a better fit for captaincy but also adds strength in the lower order. Some of the other big names missing from the last game were DJ Bravo, Imran Tahir, and Trent Boult. These three bring in plenty of experience in the bowling department.

Another Windies all-round superstar Bravo has delivered breakthroughs for the MIE consistently and it would be fair to give him a chance here. MIE has a solid opening pair with the likes of Andre Fletcher and Muhammad Waseem who need to score in this match if they want to reach the next round of the league. This pair barely scored 9, 35, and 4 runs for the first wicket in their last 3 outings. Skipper Pollard can also think about bringing back Najibullah Zadran who can be crucial in the middle order. Their opening pair might not be in great shape, MIE needs to find ways to add more strength in the middle.

The likes of  Tucker and Pooran are the most promising batters in this lineup who can score big in the middle order. In addition to the experienced bowling trio, Afghani bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi is a key bowler to watch out for in the MIE setup. The English tall gun bowler Craig Overton made a big mark in the last game against DC. And Overton can be expected to continue being part of the XI for the Eliminator.

DC registered their 4th win of the season beating MIE in their last game as they ensured themselves a spot in the playoffs while finishing 4th in the league. DC has won 2 and lost 2 matches in their last 4 games. Both of those losses came against the DV.

DC would be pleased with the fact that they won two of their last three games chasing down a total. That would give the skipper confidence in his batters as they come to Sharjah for the Eliminator. This is the same venue where the DC were bowled out for just 80 runs chasing a target of 182 against GG. The Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza is back on the side and that will be another factor that would play in favour of DC. Raza is a handy all-rounder who can make a game-changing contribution and he is also in red-hot form with both bat and bowl.

After finishing with 1 for 29 against MIE in their last game, Sikandar Raza scored an unbeaten 56 off 36 balls as DC secured a 7-wicket win. Another key spin bowler in this squad is Australia's leg-spinner Adam Zampa. The Aussie leg-break bowler has been consistent. 

In the top 3 of the DC lineup, Munsey and Lankan star batter Dasun Shanaka are the in-form and reliable batters. The all-rounder Shanaka has played the finisher’s role many times this year for Sri Lanka. In this lineup, DC has the likes of Powell, Raza, and Yusuf Pathan who can deliver big finishes for the side in this match on Thursday.

Match Details

Match: MIE vs DC, Eliminator, International T20 League

Date: Thursday, February 09, 2023

Time: 07:30 PM

Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

Pitch & Weather Report 

The venue has shorter boundaries making it easier for batters to score sixes on this track. It would depend on the pitch on the day whether it would rain sixes or the bowlers spin a web. The average 1st innings score at Sharjah Cricket Stadium is 160+ runs. The condition of the pitch on the match day would give a clearer idea of a winning total.

Teams while bowling first has won 43 of the 66 domestic T20s played at this venue. DC would be confident this time around to bat second given their recent form. With the likes of all-rounders Pollard and Pooran in the lineup, MIE would also be inclined to chase down a target on this ground.

The maximum temperature will remain at 23°C, with a low of 18°C with 43% humidity, and a strong wind speed of 40 Km/hr for the Eliminator International T20 match on Feb 09 between MIE and DC. It is overcast on the matchday with no sign of rain interruption.

MIE vs DC Squads

MIE: Vriitya Aravind (wk), Kieron Pollard (c), Muhammad Waseem, Andre Fletcher, Nicholas Pooran, Najibullah Zadran, Samit Patel, Dwayne Bravo, Trent Boult, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Brad Wheal, Imran Tahir, Craig Overton, Zahir Khan, Lorcan Tucker, Zahoor Khan, Tom Lammonby, Bas de Leede, Jordan Thompson, Dan Mousley, Basil Hameed, Will Smeed, McKenny Clarke

DC: Robin Uthappa (wk), Rovman Powell (c), Joe Root, Chirag Suri, Daniel Lawrence, Yusuf Pathan, Dasun Shanaka, Chamika Karunaratne, Isuru Udana, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Akif Raja, Ravi Bopara, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Fabian Allen, George Munsey, Hazratullah Zazai, Fred Klaassen, Ollie White, Jash Giyanani, Hazrat Luqman

MIE vs DC Probable XIs

MIE: Andre Fletcher, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Kieron Pollard (c), Dwayne Bravo, Craig Overton, Trent Boult, Imran Tahir, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Zahoor Khan

DC: George Munsey, Robin Uthappa (wk), Sikandar Raza, Dasun Shanaka, Rovman Powell, Yusuf Pathan (c), Adam Zampa, Fred Klaassen, Jake Ball, Hazrat Luqman, Akif Raja

Match Prediction

A good contest awaits between MIE and DC on Thursday in the International T20 league. Both sides have a good record at this venue and also pack powerful squads to take on any side in T20 cricket. However, MIE got solid competition from the DC who also has match-winning finishers and bowlers in their squad. It promises to be an exciting game between the two sides with MIE starting with a slight edge over the DC. We say MIE to win this contest against the Capitals.

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