🏏IPL 2024: Match 55: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad🏏

🏏IPL 2024: Match 55: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad🏏

[Logo Credit: Wildestdreams]

Although Mumbai can still make the playoffs mathematically, the chances look bleak. They languish at the bottom of the points table with six points from 11 matches.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad are at fourth place with 12 points from 10 games and are well within reach of qualifying for the top four.

Anticipation surrounds the Wankhede pitch's behavior, with potential hints of spin-friendly conditions challenging the conventional high-scoring norms, setting the stage for tactical adaptations.

Bhvneshwar Kumar has been going at more than 13 an over in the death overs.

It was largely due to a stroke of luck that Rovman Powell missed a full toss to hand SunRisers Hyderabad a one-run victory in the SRH's previous game.

The win underscores the unpredictability or, as they say, the funny nature of the Twenty20 format. The Royals needed 12 runs off the last over, and two off the last ball.

That win may have put their campaign back on the rails. Still, SRH has been one of the standout sides this season with their explosive openers - Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma - setting the stage on fire and the fast bowling unit, led by Pat Cummins, working like an optimally functioning apparatus.

The best feature yet has been the inspiring captaincy of Cummins, who has managed to handle the young Indian players efficiently.

[Tag Credit: Sutapasima]

A rare vulnerability for the Hyderabad side, as it's been observed, is their lack of a Plan B, rather contingencies.

They normally rely heavily on aggressive batting, particularly through their openers. And in instances where this approach doesn't produce the expected yields, they've struggled to adapt and recalibrate their game plan.

Spin bowling has emerged as another notable weakness, despite the presence of legend Muttiah Muralitharan in the coaching staff. As they prepare to face Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on Monday evening, these are areas the home team look to exploit.

The Wankhede Stadium has traditionally been a high-scoring pitch, except for the recent exception seen in the last game, versus Kolkata Knight Riders.

It wouldn't be surprising if Monday's match turns into a run-fest, reminiscent of their season's initial encounter in Hyderabad where Mumbai Indians had mounted a strong assault on SRH total and had come close to chasing down the record-breaking total of 278.

A lot will depend on the performance of the openers from both teams.

Pitch Report

What to expect: A lot depends on the nature of the pitch. Otherwise a batting strip, the Wankhede surface was tricky to score in the last game a couple of nights ago. Easy or difficult to bat, the captain winning the toss will choose to field because of the dew factor.Anything less than 200 will not be easy to defend.

Head to Head: MI 12 - 10 SRH. The face-off figures, overall, are not too stark but Mumbai Indians enjoy an edge at the Wankhede Stadium, 5-2. But the Surrisers have been a different side this season.

For Mumbai Indians, their openers have struggled to survive the PowerPlay overs in numerous games. Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have been dismissed early too often, with Rohit falling six times and Ishan seven times within the first six overs.

This inconsistency might be one of the key factors to their underwhelming performance this season. They may face a stronger challenge from SRH pacers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pat Cummins, T Natarajan, Jaydev Unadkat and Marco Jansen, who have all been in good nick.

How the MI openers, mainly Rohit, handle the quality SRH pacers will be a point of interest from MI point of view and Indian point of view as well.

For SRH, this match holds significant importance in their quest to qualify for the playoffs. Currently standing within striking distance with 12 points from 10 games, they require at least two more victories in their remaining four matches.

As for MI, with their playoff chances now virtually over, the big question is whether they will opt to rest Jasprit Bumrah, arguably the standout bowler of this IPL season.

Team Watch:

Mumbai Indians

Injury/Availability: No injury concerns for the home team.

Tactics & Matchups: Skipper Hardik Pandya will prefer to bowl Jasprit Bumrah, the best bowler of the league, upfront given the explosive starts that SRH openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, have been providing. An early breakthrough will go a long way in restricting the visitors.

Probable XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Tim David, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara [Impact Substitute: Nehal Wadhera]

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Injury/Availability: All players are available for Pat Cummins.

Tactics & Matchups: With Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pat Cummins, T Natarajan, Jaydev Unadkat and Marco Jansen all in fine form, the pace will be the main form of attack.

Probable XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Anmolpreet Singh, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Nitish Reddy, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Marco Jansen, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan [Impact Substitute: Jaydev Unadkat/Umran Malik]

What they said

We have a huge fan base and they want to see us win. Our approach, from the beginning, has been to play each game to win and it will not be any different tomorrow - MI batter Naman Dhir, when asked about their approach to the game when their chances of a play-offs berth are bleak

Look, that's, that's [Possibility of Umran Malik's inclusion]. That's always going to be an ongoing conversation.

The way that we pick our team is very much a game-to-game situation. We know the quality that someone like Umran has and we're obviously at a new venue tomorrow, new opposition tomorrow, and I'm sure through the course of the day his name may come up in selection conversation - SRH pace bowling coach James Franklin on whether Umran Mailk will get to play a game

Travis Head and Bhuvneshwar Kumar Eye Landmarks

Travis Head and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's pursuit of personal milestones adds an extra layer of significance to the clash, amplifying the intensity of competition on the field.

Chawla's Challenge and David's Dominance

Piyush Chawla's battle against SRH's batsmen and Tim David's prowess against left-arm quicks emerge as pivotal match-ups, shaping the narrative of individual duels within the game

MI's Spin Conundrum and SRH's Seam Options

Mumbai Indians grapple with spin resources, while Sunrisers Hyderabad strategize around seam options, underscoring the significance of bowling strategies tailored to match conditions.

Rohit vs. SRH's Left-Arm Pacers

The potential face-off between Rohit Sharma and SRH's left-arm quicks adds tactical intrigue, highlighting the importance of strategic adaptability in IPL encounters.

Balance Between Potential and Consistency

Sunrisers Hyderabad's formidable batting lineup exudes talent but faces the challenge of converting potential into consistent match-winning performances, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown.

Rohit's Potential Return - MI's Captain and Batting Dynamo

Speculation surrounds Rohit Sharma's comeback, raising hopes for Mumbai Indians as they bank on their skipper's leadership and batting prowess to turn the tide in IPL 2024.

SRH's Mission to Cement Playoff Spot

Sunrisers Hyderabad's intense battle for a playoff berth adds intrigue to the upcoming clash, highlighting the significance of securing crucial points in the IPL standings.

SRH's Mission to Cement Playoff Spot

Sunrisers Hyderabad's intense battle for a playoff berth adds intrigue to the upcoming clash, highlighting the significance of securing crucial points in the IPL standings.

Fighting to Escape Bottom Position

With Mumbai Indians' aspiration to climb from the bottom of the table, the match promises a gripping narrative of redemption and resurgence in the quest for IPL glory.

Thanks for the tag Madhu.

May the best team win.

Cheers..