IPL 2020 Final: MI vs DC: Shreyas Iyer urges team to rise to the occasion

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Bengaluru, November 10: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 final against Mumbai Indians in Dubai on Tuesday, Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer has urged his team to hold on to their nerve to counter their rivals' big-match experience.

DC are entering IPL finals for the first time while the Rohit Sharma-led MI are four-time champions.

In IPL 2020, MI have stealed a march over their rivals, having won all the three matches, that too by convincing margins.

Rohit even went to the extent of saying that his team hold a pyschological hold over their rivals, though he did guard his side against complacency asking them not to rest of past laurels.

Against this backdrop Iyer, wants his team to raise their bar in the big match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

"This has been a rollercoaster. A lot of ups and downs. We have stuck together like a family," Iyer said after his team's 17-run win over Hyderabad in the final playoff match took them to the final.

Led by the 25-year-old and mentored by the Australian great Ponting, DC have been the surprise package of IPL 2020, though their path to the final was not smooth.

They started the season brilliantly, winning seven of their first nine games and briefly battling MI for top place in the league, before four straight defeats.

The Mumbai-born Iyer said DC with Shikhar Dhawan shining with the bat and the impressive pace bowling Kagiso Rabada, had now to hold on to their nerve in the title clash and rise to the big occasion.

Iyer's inconsistent batting form has been a cause for concern, but Dhawan has hit two centuries while Australia's Marcus Stoinis and West Indies' Shimron Hetmyer have contributed valuable power play runs.

Rabada leads the IPL bowling chart with 29 wickets while fellow South African Anrich Nortje set the IPL record for the fastest single ball at 97 miles an hour.

"A lot of responsibility comes as a captain, and on top of that you've to maintain consistency as a batsman.

"In the next game too, we've to play freely and maintain our temperament," added Iyer.