MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals, ILT 2023, Today Match Prediction 09 February 2023

mie vs dcp Match Prediction & Analysis

Dubai Capitals defeated MI Emirates in their last league stage match of ILT20. Batting inconsistency will be the major issue for MI Emirates going into this game.

They have a good record at this venue with two wins from two matches. In their last outing in Sharjah, MI Emirates scored 241 runs batting first. Since that match, there have been two games at this venue and the team batting first didn’t manage a big enough total. 

Both teams have some power-hitting finishers in the lower middle order. Pollard and Pooran in the MI Emirates camp and Rovman Powell and Yusuf Pathan in the Capitals’ lineup are the key batsmen.

Dubai Capitals have backed Uthappa for quite a long time now and the veteran batsman has very low returns. His experience can be crucial in a knockout game like this but his strike rate isn’t that impressive for an opening batsman.

TEAMS PREVIEW

MI Emirates Preview

Pooran led the MI Emirates in their last league stage game where they suffered a 7-wicket loss against Dubai. Pollard should be back in the side for the Eliminator. Not only is he 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.

Bravo has delivered breakthroughs for the MI consistently and it would be fair to give him a chance here. Andre Fletcher and Muhammad Waseem need to turn things around as an opening pair for the Emirates.

The duo has scored 9, 35, and 4 runs for the first wicket in their last 3 outings. Pollard can also think about bringing back Najibullah Zadran who can be crucial in the middle order. As the opening duo isn’t in great shape, MI Emirates need to find ways to add more strength in the middle.

Lorcan Tucker and Nicholas Pooran are the most promising batters in this lineup. In addition to the experienced bowling trio, Fazalhaq Farooqi is a key bowler to watch out for in the MI setup. Craig Overton made a big mark in the last game against Dubai Capitals. And he can be expected to continue being part of the XI for the Eliminator. 

MI Emirates Predicted Playing XI:

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

MI Emirates Actual Playing XI:

Dwayne Bravo, Mohammad Waseem, Lorcan Tucker, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Trent Boult, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Dan Mousley, Zahoor Khan, Rashid Khan, ADS Fletcher

Dubai Capitals Preview

Dubai Capitals registered their 4th win of the season beating MI Emirates in their last game as they ensured themselves a spot in the playoffs. They have won two and lost two matches in their last 4 games. Both of those losses came against the Desert Vipers.

Capitals 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 Capitals were bowled out for just 80 runs chasing a target of 182 against Gulf Giants. Sikandar Raza is back in the side and that will be another factor that would play in favour of Dubai Capitals. He is a handy all-rounder who can make a game-changing contribution.

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

In the top 3 of the Dubai Capitals lineup, George Munsey and Dasun Shanaka are the in-form and reliable batsmen. Shanaka has played the finisher’s role many times this year for Sri Lanka. In this lineup, however, there are others like Powell, Raza, and Yusuf Pathan who can deliver big finishes for the side. 

Dubai Capitals Predicted Playing XI:

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

Dubai Capitals Actual Playing XI:

Raja Akifullah Khan , Sikandar Raza, Ravi Bopara, George Munsey, RV Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan, Dasun Shanaka, Rovman Powell, Jake Ball, Reece Topley, Luqman Hazrat

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at Sharjah has been on the slower side with the odd high-scoring game every now and then. The curators have tried making a fatter surface in T20 leagues but overall, it tends to be slow. The weather is expected to be cloudy with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.

Venue Details

The Sharjah Cricket Stadium has shorter boundaries making it easier for batters to score sixes. 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 this venue is 155 runs. The condition of the pitch on the match day would give a clearer idea of a winning total.

Toss: To Bowl

Team bowling first has won 43 of the 66 domestic T20s played in Sharjah. Dubai Capitals would be confident this time around to bat second given their recent form. With Pollard and Pooran in the lineup, MI Emirates would also be inclined to chase down a target on this ground.