The Mumbai Indians take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home turf in a desperate attempt to taste success.
Sunrisers Hyderabad won their first 3 games on the trot but have lost a couple of back to back games since then and would look to rectify their weaknesses to get their campaign back on track. The peripeteia can be attributed to the performance of its bowling unit- which has been a little off color in the last 2 games, especially with Rashid Khan going for a lot of runs and Bhuvneshwar Kumar missing out due to an injury in the last game.
The Mumbai Indians have 1 win in their 5 matches, which does not tell the entire story. MI have played some really impressive cricket in the tournament and have yet ended up on the losing side because of their inability to hold on to the critical moments of the matches. Mumbai have lost all their games in the final over and would definitely want to get into the winning groove right at the Wankhede Stadium and what better way to start winning matches than the occasion of their mentor Sachin Tendulkar’s birthday.
Suryakmar Yadav as an opener has been pretty good for the Mumbai camp except that first ball duck against RCB. In virtually a must win game, MI would be hoping to get off to a good start and their top 3 batsmen Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis and Ishan Kishan to fire. Although they have been in good form, MI’s solo win has come only when Rohit Sharma was amongst the runs and the Hitman would be itching to contribute to the team’s win after a suicidal run out against the Rajasthan Royals in the last encounter.
As far as the Hyderabad franchise is concerned Shikhar Dhawan is their biggest match winner with the bat and is expected to return to the playing 11 in today’s game after his elbow injury. Kane Williamson has been leading from the front and has been consistent in the SRH batting department and SRH would hope he continues to deliver for the team. SRH might have a few injury issues before the match.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mayank Markande would be the key for MI’s bowling unit. Bumrah has had a brilliant couple of games but would be wary of no balls and would try and work on that in a crucial match tonight. It would be a test of temperament for the young spinner Mayank Markande who has not got a lot of wickets in his previous few games, how he reacts in this situation would reveal a lot about the bowler’s mental strength and determination.
Similarly, Rashid Khan has had a couple of poor games and that is what makes this match exciting. Rashid, who has been one of the best on the business in the recent times, would try and bounce back stronger and that is what separates great bowlers from the rest. Rashid’s good performance makes things a lot easier for the other bowlers in the unit. If Bhuvi is unfit, expect an Indian seamer, someone like a Sandeep Sharma to feature in the game.
A much needed win is at stake for both the sides. Broadcast starts at 20:00 Hours (IST).
