IPL final LIVE, MI vs DC: Ravi Ashwin vs Quinton de Kock – key battle – IPL news – Sportstar

Mumbai Indians will take on Delhi Capitals in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) in Dubai on Tuesday. Mumbai, which prevailed in its three previous meetings against Delhi this season, is bidding for its fifth title, while Delhi aims to break the duck for its maiden championship.

Here are the key match-ups to look forward to in the final which could have an important say.

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Marcus Stoinis vs Trent Boult (Boult removes Stoinis for golden duck)

Marcus Stoinis hit form in his last two matches in the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL), scoring 65 against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 1 and 38 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2. More crucially, the latter innings came as an opener – a role the Australian had success in for Melbourne Stars in the 2019-20 Big Bash League, where he top-scored with 705 runs, which included six fifties and a hundred, at an average of 54.23.

Trent Boult has been the in-form new-ball bowler of the tournament with 14 wickets in the PowerPlay overs. In the two finalists’ last meeting, Boult removed Prtihvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane in the first over to leave Delhi reeling at 0/2.

Stoinis will have to contend with the New Zealander swinging the ball both ways at a brisk pace from the onset.

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Hardik Pandya vs Pravin Dubey

Hardik Pandya elevated his hitting in the 2020 IPL season, where he has accounted for 25 sixes and 14 fours in 13 innings. The India international scored 278 runs from the 152 balls faced – a strike rate of 183. However, Pandya has struggled against leg-spin, managing to score just 26 runs off 24 balls while being dismissed once.

Hardik Pandya has been destructive with the bat in the death overs.   –  BCCI/IPL

If Delhi continues to persist with Pravin Dubey in the line-up, he could be an inspired punt against the hard-hitting Pandya.

Quinton de Kock vs R. Ashwin

Delhi introduced R. Ashwin in the PowerPlay in Qualifier 1 in Abu Dhabi and Quinton de Kock could score only three runs off five balls from the off-spinner before being dismissed. Their head-to-head record in Twenty20 cricket is stacked in favour of the Indian bowler: 53 runs conceded from 66 balls with four dismissals.

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De Kock has been key to Mumbai’s strong starts in the PowerPlay this season. He has 483 runs with four fifties and a strike rate of 139.59.

It won’t be a surprise if Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer sticks to a similar game plan for the final.