DC host MI in season’s first double-header:Both teams had winning starts; Mumbai Indians won 21 matches against Delhi Capitals

The first double-header of IPL 2026 is today, with the first clash of the day seeing Delhi Capitals (DC) taking on the Mumbai Indians (MI). The match is set to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, and it will start at 3:30 PM IST (Indian Standard Time). The toss will take place at 3:00 PM IST. Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians have had winning starts to their respective IPL 2026 campaigns. A Rohit Sharma special at Wankhede saw the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians, outclass the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home. Meanwhile, the Delhi Capitals overcame Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a thrilling contest that saw Sameer Rizvi come of age with a match-winning 70*. The second match of the day will be between the Gujarat Titans and the Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium, which will start at 7:30 PM IST. DC vs MI, IPL 2026, Match 8, preview Mumbai Indians hold edge against Delhi Capitals So far, there have been 37 matches played between the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals and the five-time winners have had the upper hand. Out of the 37 games, MI have won 21 while DC have been victorious on 16 occasions. The DC vs MI rivalry has witnessed some really high scores as well as some very low ones. In 2024, the Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians clash witnessed both teams aggregate 504 runs. Delhi Capitals, in 2017, were bowled out for just 66 against the Mumbai Indians. And MI had managed just 92 against DC in a clash way back in 2012. A total of 13 matches have been played between the two teams at Arun Jaitley Stadium. In this, the Delhi Capitals have won 7, and the Mumbai Indians have won 6 matches. This means Delhi has faced tough competition from Mumbai even on their home ground. Two matches were played between the two teams in the last season, and Mumbai won both of them. Rickleton scores big in top order, Shardul’s golden arm Ryan Rickelton played a brilliant innings of 81 runs off 43 balls for Mumbai against Kolkata, while Rohit Sharma scored 78 runs off 38 balls. The two shared an opening partnership of 148 runs in 11.5 overs. However, the bowlers’ performance was disappointing. Allah Ghazanfar was given a place in the playing XI as a spinner. But the Afghanistan spinner failed to make a mark, going wicketless while leaking 51 runs in his four overs. Mayank Markande too had an over against KKR and in that, conceded 16 runs. However, MI’s spin attack is set to be boosted with the return of New Zealand’s T20I captain Mitchell Santner, who joined the squad and is available for selection after missing the first match. Also read: ‘Empty stands, clearly staged video’: LSG face online heat after franchise shares ‘unfiltered clip’ of Pant-Goenka’s reunion Sameer Rizvi, Lungi Ngidi dazzle for Delhi Sameer Rizvi and Lungi Ngidi have been the star performers for the Delhi Capitals in their only match so far. Ngidi produced a stunning bowling performance, taking three wickets while conceding just 27 runs in 3.4 overs. And one of those wickets was that of Nicholas Pooran, who he deceived with a brilliant slower ball. Apart from Ngidi, T Natarajan (3/29) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/31) also gave a good account of themselves. In the second innings, it was Rizvi who stole the spotlight with a superb batting performance. The Uttar Pradesh youngster absorbed the pressure of losing early wickets and led a stellar batting show, smashing an unbeaten 70 off 47 deliveries. Pitch Report: High-scoring match expected due to short boundaries Arun Jaitley Stadium is helpful for batsmen. The square boundaries here are short. Fast bowlers can get swing in the beginning, but in the middle of the match, the pitch becomes slow for spinners. Out of 97 matches played here, the chasing team has won 49. The team batting first has won 47 matches. While 1 match has been a no-result. The highest team score here is 278/3, which was made by Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous season. Weather Report: 55% chance of rain in Delhi The weather in Delhi is constantly changing. According to AccuWeather, there is a possibility of rain with thunder in Delhi on Saturday. Today there is a 55% chance of rain here. During this time, the wind speed is estimated to blow at a speed of 11 kilometres per hour. The temperature here will remain between 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. Earlier, some parts of the city had received rain on Tuesday and Wednesday night.