IPL 2022 | MI vs DC | Mitchell Marsh, how important is he for DC?

The penultimate match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will see Mumbai Indians (MI) go up against Delhi Capitals (DC). The importance of the match lies in the fact that it will determine the fate of two teams in the tournament.

Mumbai Indians are already out of the tournament, but DC is still fighting for a position in the top four. The equation is simple for Rishabh Pant’s side; they win, they qualify. If Delhi loses the match, RCB will make it to the playoffs. They will depend on their star Aussie all-rounder Mitchell Marsh in a virtual knockout match for Delhi.

To better understand how important Mitchell Marsh will be for DC, let us look at his records in the tournament so far.

IPL 2022: In IPL 2022, Mitchell Marsh has played in 7 matches. Let us look at his batting performances in the matches.

Innings: 7 Runs: 251 

Run Per Innings(RPI): 35.85 

Strike Rate: 133.51 

Balls Per Boundary: 5.69

At the beginning of his campaign, he found it difficult to get going with the bat. But in the last few matches, he has looked in prime form and batted with great fluency.

In the first five matches:

Innings: 5 Runs: 99 

RPI: 19.8 

Strike Rate: 126.92 

BPB: 7.07

In the last two matches:

Innings: 2 

Runs: 152 

RPI: 76 

Strike Rate: 138.18 

BPD: 55

So, at the beginning of his campaign for DC, he found it difficult to get going. He was struggling, and in his first five knocks, neither was he consistent nor was he scoring at a quick enough rate. His RPI was just 19.8, and his strike rate was 126.92. But, on the other hand, he was getting dismissed every 16 deliveries scoring just 20 runs in them.

But he has completely turned around his performances in the last two knocks. His RPI has increased from 19.8 to 76, and his strike rate has increased from 126.92 to 138.18. Marsh has also spent more time at the crease playing 55 deliveries on an average in the two knocks.

Since today’s match is a virtual knockout, let us take a look at his performance in the knockout stages of the T20 WC 2021. From his recent performances in pressure matches, we can get an idea about how he may perform in today’s match and at the business end of the tournament if they make it to the playoffs.

T20 World Cup 2021:

Vs Pakistan, Semi-Final:

Runs: 28 Balls: 22 SR: 127.27 4s: 3 6s: 1

Vs New Zealand, Final

Runs: 77 Balls: 50 SR: 154 4s: 6 6s: 4

It is evident that when the going gets tough, Marsh gets going. He carried the Australian batting on his shoulders. Thus, Marsh is one man who can perform under pressure and take Delhi home. His abilities have already been proven given the way he has batted in the last two matches, where losing would have meant elimination for Delhi.

So, Marsh, batting at number three, will be responsible for stabilizing the innings and helping his team move towards a formidable total. Also, a few overs with the ball in hand will give Pant the flexibility to play around with his bowling lineup.