Mumbai Indians will look to bounce back from a string of losses and keep their playoff hopes alive when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday night. For Mumbai, the match is more about salvaging pride and laying the groundwork for the upcoming auction than making a serious push for the playoffs. Hyderabad, on the other hand, are very much in contention for a top-four finish and will be looking to solidify their position with a win.
The Big Picture
Mumbai Indians have had a disappointing season and are all but eliminated from playoff contention. Their best hope is to avoid finishing last in the league and get a clearer picture of who to retain and who to release before the next auction.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, are in a much better position. They are currently fifth in the standings and have a good chance of finishing in the top four, especially with three home games remaining after this trip to Mumbai. A win here would be a big boost for their playoff aspirations.
Recent Form
Mumbai Indians have lost their last five completed matches, while Sunrisers Hyderabad have won three of their last five. This highlights the contrasting fortunes of the two teams.
Previous Meeting
The first meeting between these two teams was a high-scoring affair, with Hyderabad setting a new IPL record for the highest total (277/3). Mumbai were well on their way to chasing down the target but ultimately fell short by 31 runs.
Team News and Impact Player Strategy
Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma is expected to return to the starting lineup if he recovers from his back spasm. They might also reconsider using only two overseas players, as this restricted their tactical options in the previous match.
Likely Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (if fit), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Romario Shepherd/Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara
Sunrisers Hyderabad
They opted for the bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen in their last match, and they are likely to retain that combination for this encounter. The choice of their final bowling pick will depend on the pitch conditions.
Likely Playing XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Anmolpreet Singh, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Marco Jansen, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Jaydev Unadkat/Mayank Markande
Players in the Spotlight
- Rohit Sharma: Rohit Sharma started the season well but has struggled recently. It will be interesting to see how he fares against a Hyderabad attack that may include three left-arm fast bowlers.
- Abdul Samad: Samad is a talented batsman with immense potential, but he can be inconsistent. Hyderabad will be hoping that he can play a crucial role in their batting lineup.
Key Stats
- SRH’s two best spin hitters, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen, have very good records against Mumbai Indians’ legspinner Piyush Chawla.
- Mumbai Indians will be looking to get Tim David on strike against left-arm fast bowler Natarajan in the death overs. David has a good record against Natarajan so far.
- Travis Head is close to reaching the 3000-run mark in T20 cricket.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jaydev Unadkat are both on the cusp of achieving bowling milestones. Kumar needs three wickets to reach 300 T20 wickets, while Unadkat is one wicket away from 100 IPL wickets.
Pitch and Conditions
The Wankhede Stadium is usually known for high-scoring matches, but the recent game between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders saw spinners playing a bigger role. It remains to be seen if this is a trend or just a one-off.