SRH have the team to withstand the threat posed by the rejuvenated MI side. They have the batting depth, the balance and the bowling unit to propel through in this contest.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are set to host five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in what is shaping up to be an interesting tussle for the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this Tuesday (April 18). The ‘Orange Army’ will be taking on the rejuvenated Mumbai side in Hyderabad as they look to bolster their playoffs claim.
Rohit Sharma & company have clinched victories in two consecutive games after enduring a poor start to their campaign. They kept the Delhi Capitals (DC) at bay in a final-over thriller away and then beat the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a home fixture on Sunday.
The Sunrisers, too, are heading home on the back of an impressive win over KKR last Friday at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. A triumph that would’ve boosted their confidence further. One game previously, they defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
The two sides are placed eighth and ninth, respectively, in the ten-team standings with two wins and as many losses under their belt, with only the NRR separating them. It’s an opportunity for them to edge over the opposition and progress in the points table.
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With two wins under their belt, SRH are unlikely to go through any changes as such for the clash with Mumbai. The 2016 champions would be relieved more than delighted with the return to form displayed by opening batter Harry Brook last match. After going through initial stutters, he blasted a century in SRH’s win over KKR.
They will, however, be a touch concerned by their death-overs bowling with the veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar not quite at his best and T Natarajan unable to regain wood over batters in the later stages. SRH would also look to reconsider their ‘Impact Player’ choice as Washington Sundar is yet to hit the strides with the ball.
Rohit’s men would be relieved by the outcome of their previous two games. They had lost their first two games and were looking like staring down the barrel once again. But wins in the last outings would’ve revived the confidence and playoffs hope. What MI need is another victory to truly reignite their fortunes and the game against an inconsistent SRH side is a healthy opportunity.
That said, they will have to seriously dig deep into their resolve to address the bowling woes. Even though MI won against KKR, they conceded an above-par score of 185/6 in the first half. Bowling has been a major problem area for the franchise since IPL 2022 as they continue to either chase more than ideal or require extra cushion to defend their scores.
SRH Playing XI: Mayank Agarwal, Harry Brook, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Washington Sundar, Marco Jansen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik and T Natarajan
MI Playing XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Cameron Green, Tim David, Hrithik Shokeen, Piyush Chawla, Duan Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar and Riley Meredith
SRH have the team to withstand the threat posed by the rejuvenated MI side. They have the batting depth, the balance and the bowling unit to propel through in this contest.
Somehow yet, they keep missing the code and seem to be a set of playing personnel plagued by inconsistency.
That offers MI an opportunity to continue on their winning trail by enjoying a greater footing in the contest, potentially managing to swim over their bowling problems.
But SRH remain the better bowling side, still, which shall ultimately give them an edge for this one.
