Published: Nov 09, 2020, 04:09 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 09, 2020, 04:09 PM (IST)
Delhi Capitals are aiming to create history as they target a maiden IPL title when they meet four-time champions Mumbai Indians in the final on Tuesday night in Dubai.
They experienced the high of being at the top of the standings at one stage before slumping to four defeats on the trot that put in danger their playoffs hope. However, they managed to finish second and entered in the playoffs for a second successive season.
Here’s a look at how DC made their way to the final
A ‘Super’ Start
Playing against Kings XI Punjab in their season opener, DC played out a thriller with the match ending in a tie. In the Super Over, Kagiso Rabada allowed just two runs and took two wickets as well. DC completed the formality in two deliveries to start with a win.
Impressive Start Continues
DC next faced CSK whom they defeated by 44 runs before Sunrisers Hyderabad prevented a hat-trick of wins in Abi Dhabi. In chase of 163, Delhi managed 147/7 for their first defeat of 2020. That turned out to be a minor blip as the team bounced back with three straight wins, beating the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals.
The Mumbai Hurdle
For their seventh match of the season, DC faced defending champions Mumbai Indians. It was a top-of-the-table clash with DC sitting at the No. 1 spot followed by MI. Delhi suffered their second defeat of the campaign losing by five wickets.
The Wobble
DC quickly recovered from the defeat to complete season doubles over RR and CSK. However, that gave way to a slump that saw the playoffs favourites succumb to four straight defeats. First, KXIP beat them by five wickets, then KKR humbled them by 59 runs. The performance only got worse with SRH registering a huge 88-run win and then MI crushed them by nine wickets. The defeats made the road to playoffs a bit tricky. Oh and there was a small matter of their opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan becoming the first player in IPL history to score back-to-back centuries.
Entering Playoffs
DC faced RCB in what was their final league match before the playoffs. Although they were more or less through, a win was needed for an official approval. They ensured that by beating Bangalore by six wickets, chasing down 153 in 19 overs. They thus sealed a second spot and two shots at making the finals.
The First Shot
They met MI for the third time in the season and this time on stake was final spot. MI opted to bat first and lost their captain Rohit Sharma in the second over. But afterwards, it was one-way traffic. Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Quinton de Kock and Hardik Pandya powered their team to a big 200/5. Delhi’s reply was shambolic. They lost three wickets without opening their account. Thanks to Marcus Stoinis (65) and Axar Patel (42) they were able to reduce the margin of defeat to 57 runs.
The Second Shot
DC met SRH in the second qualifier – another team they were yet to beat this season. They promoted Marcus Stoinis to open the innings and it worked like a charm. Their top-order fired in unison as a challenging score of 189/3 was posted. Their new-ball bowlers got rid of SRH top-three in the first five overs. But Kane Williamson and Jason Holder kept the contest alive. Williamson soon began finding the boundaries with ease, leaving DC camp nervous. And then their star performer of the night Stoinis struck again as he dismissed Williamson for 67. DC went on to win by 17 runs and made their first ever IPL final.
They will, for the fourth and final time this season, face MI in the summit clash.
