If MI win here, they could rise from their current sixth place in the points table and be on course for a spot in the top four. On the other hand, a shaky SRH are in ninth place
MI pace ace Jasprit Bumrah. Pic/PTI
Fresh from three victories on the trot, a buoyant Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI), who have previously outplayed the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Wankhede, will be looking to reassert their superiority in the return clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Wednesday.
If MI win here, they could rise from their current sixth place in the points table and be on course for a spot in the top four. On the other hand, a shaky SRH are in ninth place.
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Rohit Sharma’s return to form in their last match against the Chennai Super Kings was MI’s biggest gain. The India opener, who had an indifferent tournament till then, was in full flow as he decimated the CSK attack to score an unbeaten 45-ball 76. Suryakumar Yadav also joined Rohit (30-ball 68) in that run fest.
Local boy Tilak Verma refused to get carried away despite MI’s recent successes.
“I would say it’s a long tournament, so we just want to follow our basics and be calm. We want to do the right things at the right moment,” Verma said at the match-eve press conference her. It’s a big game for Verma — the Hyderabad captain — who has been in good touch though a big score has eluded him so far. The pitch here could be ideal for him to shine in front of his home crowd. “If I’m not wrong there are two wickets — the first is one you [SRH] played on the last time and it’s always a 250-plus score. The other wicket is slightly tricky. It takes a little time, so we are ready for it. If it’s a 250-plus score wicket, our bowlers are in good shape,” said Verma.
Meanwhile, SRH’s ultra-aggressive batters, who have excelled on good tracks, have struggled on tricky and sluggish ones. At the Wankhede, the MI bowlers choked batters like Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen. Interestingly, it could also be a different story as the red-soil pitch could suit the home team’s batters and MI may have to re-plan. Opener Abhishek Sharma blazed away to a 55-ball 141, the highest by an Indian in the IPL, in SRH’s last match here against Punjab Kings. However, he will be up against a MI attack that has shrewd operators like Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Pandya and Mitchell Santner.
“We have to give them [MI] the utmost respect. But they’re certainly beatable, as every team is. There is no change of plan and we will play smart cricket,” said SRH assistant coach Simon Helmot.
A high-scoring encounter is on the cards and the team that has bowlers with more variety could have the last laugh.
It’s advantage MI in this aspect as SRH’s bowlers, including the experienced duo of Mohammed Shami and Australian Pat Cummins, have not been as effective
or incisive.
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