Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman AB de Villiers has been amongst the runs for the franchise in the ongoing 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), with two half-centuries under his belt in four matches. De Villiers has taken the initiative following a stuttering start to the campaign for skipper Virat Kohli, playing game-changing knocks in the league matches against Mumbai Indians (MI) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). There were questions raised over the South African cricketer's ability to perform in a top tournament like the IPL, having retired from all forms of international cricket. 146 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 178.04 and an average of 73, certainly indicate De Villiers is capable of making his presence felt, and will be looking to do the same against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Monday. However, the South African will face a strong foe in Indian spinner Amit Mishra, who will bring all his experience to the fore.
Mishra has accounted for three wickets in as many matches at an economy rate of 7.20 in IPL 2020, making his presence felt against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday. The Indian cricketer conceded just 14 runs in two overs dismissing in-form KKR opener Shubman Gill, further choking the flow of runs on a ground which does not provide much assistance to bowlers.
The 37-year-old further accounted for the crucial dismissals of SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper David Warner and Manish Pandey, when the two sides faced off.
DC skipper Shreyas Iyer will be optimistic of Mishra deceiving De Villiers with his variations on Monday. However, the South African will be a tough opponent to dismiss making the face-off an exciting one.