(mi vs srh me kon jitega )
The upcoming Sunday afternoon clash at the Wankhede holds much more significance than just being another game for the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians (MI). Their playoffs berth hangs in the balance, and they find themselves in a must-win situation. However, the complexity of the points table logjam means that even a victory may not be sufficient.
MI’s fate relies on a combination of results going their way, but the best-case scenario for them is to defeat the bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and await the outcome of the final league game between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) to determine their chances of progressing to the last-four stage. However, securing a top-two finish has already been ruled out.
Surya, the batting mainstay for MI, sought to downplay the magnitude of the situation, stating, “It is just another game for us. From the outside, it may seem like a crucial match, with the need to wait for other results, but we are well aware of our performances here at the Wankhede in the last 4-5 games. We know our strengths and areas where we excel, and our focus will solely be on those aspects.”
MI’s campaign suffered a setback with their loss to Lucknow Super Giants on May 16, both in terms of the match result and the overall season. However, this defeat added an extra layer of intrigue to the IPL narrative.
Returning to their home ground has provided a boost to MI’s hopes, having won their last three games and four out of six overall at the Wankhede. The statistics highlight that MI is the only team with a win percentage of over 60% (66.7) at home. Additionally, Surya, the top-ranked T20I batsman globally, boasts an impressive record at home, both overall (848 runs in 25 innings) and this season (342 runs in six innings). MI might also be counting on the availability of Tilak Varma, who has scored 274 runs in nine games with an average of 45 and a strike rate of 158.
With just four wins in 13 games, SRH has nothing to lose in their final match. They also have nothing to gain, leading IPL veterans to speculate that there might be an air of informality within the team, with players already mentally preparing to pack their bags and discussing return flight timings. However, SRH aims to play the role of party poopers. Coach Brian Lara stated, “We are here, I would say, to upset the party for Mumbai. We want to win and end the season on a high note.”
Having a foreign coach and captain, the combination of Brian Lara and Aiden Markram has faced challenges in handling the team. Lara openly acknowledged this fact but commended Markram, the captain from South Africa, for his leadership. Reflecting on their experience, Lara mentioned, “Both of us were newcomers – the captain and the coach. When it comes to leadership, on and off the field, I believe we have been learning and growing as a unit. It’s not something that comes naturally. I think Aiden did an exceptional job, and we will review and reflect on how we can improve next year. Leading in a new environment is always difficult, and personally, I will certainly learn from this experience.”
Match Details:
Date: Sunday, May 21, 2023
Time: 3:30 PM IST
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Match Expectations:
The pitch is expected to provide a true surface for the game. This will be the second afternoon game at the venue this season, and historically, the chasing team has had an advantage. Hence, the toss-winning captain is likely to choose to bowl first, following the prevailing trend at this venue.
Team Updates:
Mumbai Indians:
Mumbai Indians (MI) are concerned about the availability of Tilak Varma, who has been one of their successful batsmen this season but hasn’t played since May 3 against Punjab Kings. Either Nehal Wadhera or Vishnu Vinod may make way to accommodate Varma if he is fit.
Tactics & Matchups:
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) might consider unleashing a left-arm spinner against Suryakumar Yadav, as he has a relatively lower strike rate of 102 against left-arm orthodox spinners since 2019. SRH has Abhishek Sharma and Mayank Dagar in their squad, making them viable options for this matchup.
Probable MI XI:
Ishan Kishan (w), Rohit Sharma (c), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma/Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Chris Jordan, Vishnu Vinod, Piyush Chawla, Jason Behrendorff, Kumar Kartikeya
SunRisers Hyderabad:
Coach Brian Lara has confirmed the fitness of Umran Malik on the eve of the game, indicating that the J&K pacer may be included in the playing XI.
Tactics & Matchups:
Heinrich Klaasen will once again be crucial for SRH against spin bowling in the middle overs. He has scored 260 runs against spin this season at an average of 130 and a strike rate of 194. His battle against Piyush Chawla, who has the most wickets between overs 7-15, will be an exciting contest to watch.
Probable SRH XI:
Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (w), Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips, Abdul Samad, Kartik Tyagi/Umran Malik, Mayank Dagar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nitish Reddy
Interesting Facts:
– Suryakumar Yadav and Heinrich Klaasen are the top two run-scorers this season at No.3 or below.
– Tim David has an impressive strike rate of 221.57 in nine games at the Wankhede Stadium.
Quotes:
“Having a home game is always advantageous, regardless of the opponent. This being our last league game, it feels better to end the round with a home match. The support from the fans will be great. It might be hot, but it will be enjoyable.” – Suryakumar Yadav, MI batsman
“In these last two games, we want to see players stepping up, so we are flexible in our selection policy while ensuring a competitive team takes the field. We don’t want to dwell on what went wrong; instead, we should focus on learning from it.” – Brian Lara, SRH coach
Squads:
Mumbai Indians Squad:
Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Hrithik Shokeen, Chris Jordan, Piyush Chawla, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal, Vishnu Vinod, Kumar Kartikeya, Ramandeep Singh, Tristan Stubbs, Raghav Goyal, Arshad Khan, Dewald Brevis, Arjun Tendulkar, Riley Meredith, Shams Mulani, Tilak Varma, Duan Jansen, Sandeep Warrier
Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad:
Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen(w), Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips, Abdul Samad, Kartik Tyagi, Mayank Dagar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nitish Reddy, T Natarajan, Mayank Markande, Vivrant Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Sanvir Singh, Akeal Hosein, Marco Jansen, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Adil Rashid, Anmolpreet Singh, Umran Malik, Upendra Yadav, Samarth Vyas
