Mumbai Indians (MI), currently languishing at the bottom of the pile, take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 06 at the Wankhede Stadium. The hosts, having lost all four of their previous games and virtually out of the tournament, will be giving it one last shot. They would want to seek revenge from SRH, who beat them in the reverse fixture in a high-scoring encounter which saw SRH bashing MI’s bowlers all around.
As for SRH, they have everything to play for, with a spot in the Playoffs definitely up for grabs. Coming on the back of a one-run victory against the Rajasthan Royals in their last game, they would be looking to continue the same by carrying forward the momentum.
SRH vs MI Previous Performances
As for SRH, they have everything to play for, with a spot in the Playoffs definitely up for grabs. Coming on the back of a one-run victory against the Rajasthan Royals in their last game, they would be looking to continue the same by carrying forward the momentum. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), their opponents on Monday night, will have a lot more to play for.
They are fourth at the end of Sunday’s action, and are well placed for a top-four finish with three home games to end the league phase after this trip to Mumbai. If the last ball of their most recent game – a one-run victory over Rajasthan Royals – had played out any differently, though, they might be looking a lot less secure, nursing the wounds of three back-to-back defeats.
By the time Monday dawns, Mumbai Indians (MI) will either be out of the reckoning for the playoffs of IPL 2024, or all but. Heading into their last three games of the league phase, the most they can realistically hope for, in all likelihood, is to lift themselves off the bottom of the table, finish somewhere near its middle, and get a clear picture of who to retain and who to let go of before the big 2025 auction.
SRH vs MI Head to Head
This was the match that turned IPL 2024 into IPL 2024. The first seven games of the season had been, well, normal – just three 200-plus totals in 14 innings, with a highest of 208. Then SRH went and raised the ceiling for everyone, going crash, bang, wallop all the way to 277 for 3, the IPL’s new record total.
For a while it looked like the record would last only a few hours, as MI got to the halfway point of their chase at better than their original required rate, but SRH’s bowlers held on through the back half to seal a 31-run win. The record wouldn’t last too long anyway, as SRH themselves obliterated it 19 days later. 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 Sunrisers have been a different side this season.
| Matches Played | 23 |
| Mumbai Indians won | 12 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad won | 10 |
| No Result | 1 |
SRH vs MI Pitch Report
The Wankhede is usually characterized by high scores and tall run-chases, but the most recent game there, between MI and KKR, had a different flavor, with the spinners coming into their own. Chawla picked up 1 for 15 in three overs, while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy returned identical figures of 4-0-22-2 for KKR. It remains to be seen if this was a sign of wearing pitches in the second half of the season or just a one-off.
The surface at Wankhede Stadium has been among the most balanced surfaces in the Indian Premier League. The red soil deck, sourced from Matheran, is known to assist pacers in the first half and spinners as the game progresses. The humid conditions owing to sea-facing location also allows for dew to become a factor in night games. Thus, the captain winning the toss might fancy bowling first, to have a double advantage of the conditions in Mumbai.
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.
SRH vs MI Team news and Impact Player strategy
Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma was MI’s Impact Player in their last game, against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), a back spasm forcing the team to use their ex-captain in this role. Rohit batted in the nets on both Saturday and Sunday and didn’t look in any visible discomfort, and Naman Dhir said at Sunday’s press conference that Rohit was “fit and fine”. He should return to the starting XI if he is back to full fitness.
MI may also reconsider the idea of deploying just two overseas players: with Rohit designated to come off the bench as an almost mandatory impact sub, they were unable to use either Mohammad Nabi – whose offspin could have been very useful on a pitch where the part-timer Dhir ended up bowling three overs – or the big-hitting Romario Shepherd off the bench, so it felt like a waste to start neither of them.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
SRH made a significant decision in their last game, leaving out the out-of-form Aiden Markram and bringing in the bowling allrounder Marco Jansen. They are likely to stick to that overseas combination at the Wankhede, with their last bowling pick – either Jaydev Unadkat, Umran Malik or Mayank Markande – likely to be conditions-dependent.
SRH vs MI Players in the spotlight
Rohit Sharma scored 261 runs at a strike rate of 167.31 and an average of 52.20 in his first six matches of IPL 2024. Since then, he has only made 65 runs in five innings, getting past 11 only once and falling four times to left-arm pace. How will he go against an SRH attack that could feature as many as three left-arm quicks in Jansen, T Natarajan and Unadkat
When things fall into place for them, SRH’s batting line-up is awe-inspiring. When the top order doesn’t click, though, vulnerabilities begin to appear. SRH have more than adequate batting depth on paper to not let a couple of early wickets derail them, but that depth doesn’t always translate into returns on the field. It’s been particularly evident in run-chases this season. Perhaps what they need is for Abdul Samad, a batter of immense potential as well as frustrating limitations, to round out his game.
While batting first, Samad is often the perfect end-overs finisher, but his game isn’t always suited to situations that call for multiple gears against different styles of bowling. His record reflects this: he averages 34.66 and strikes at 236.36 while batting first this season, while going at 14.66 and 125.71 in chases.
It’s been a pattern over his IPL career too: batting first he’s gone at 32.22 and 164.77, and while chasing those numbers drop to 14.88 and 133.15. His bowling-type numbers also tell a similar story: he has averaged 23.94 and struck at 174.49 against pace over his IPL career, while going at 16.00 and 94.11 against spin.
SRH vs MI Vital stats that matters
- SRH’s two most dangerous spin hitters have terrific records against Piyush Chawla. Abhishek Sharma has hit the legspinner for 40 runs in 16 balls in T20s while being dismissed twice, while Klaasen has hit him for 28 runs in 14 balls while being dismissed once.
- MI would love to have Tim David facing Natarajan in the death overs. So far, David has scored 47 off 16 balls from the left-arm quick without being dismissed.
- Travis Head is eight runs away from the 3000 mark in T20s.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs three wickets to get to the milestone of 300 in T20s, while Unadkat is one short of 100 IPL wickets.
Probable Playing XIs SRH vs MI
Mumbai Indians
Ishan Kishan (wk.), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah
Predicted Impact Substitute: Nuwan Thushara
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (wk.), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, Jaydev Unadkat
Predicted Impact Substitute: T Natarajan
SRH vs MI Fantasy Playing XI : Ishan Kishan (wk.), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (wk.),Jasprit Bumrah, T Natarajan, Pat Cummins
Probable Best Players of the Match SRH vs MI
Travis Head: He would enter the field to extend his flair, coming on the back of a half-century. The Australian all-rounder has scored 396 runs in the nine innings so far, and has given countless nightmares to bowlers alongside his opening partner Abhishek Sharma. MI will prepare differently to stem the runs from southpaw’s blade.
Jasprit Bumrah: Having already claimed 17 wickets in 11 matches this season, Jasprit Bumrah has been a class apart, despite his comrades getting torn apart in most of MI’s games this season. The Purple Cap holder has a commendable record against the Sunrisers with 16 wickets to his name, and would look to add some more to the list.
SRH vs MI Match Prediction
Scenario 1
Sunrisers Hyderabad win the toss and opt to bowl.
Powerplay: 60-70
First Innings: 200-210
Sunrisers Hyderabad win the match.
Scenario 2
Sunrisers Hyderabad win the toss and opt to bat.
Powerplay: 75-85
First Innings: 230-240
Sunrisers Hyderabad win the match.