IPL 2021 preview: Can Sunrisers Hyderabad find fresh momentum against Mumbai Indians?
Sunrisers Hyderabad is a former champion of the Indian Premier League but has struggled to get going since its title win in 2016. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians continues its dominant run in IPL 2021, proving itself as the legit record five-time defending champion.
FollowThe ongoing Indian Premier League was off to an entertaining and smooth start until now. The bubbles of a couple of teams have been breached, and there is fear and uncertainty everywhere around. Nonetheless, for now, the show must go on.
In Match 31, former champion Sunrisers Hyderabad would take on defending champion Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday. The two teams have a contrasting performance so far, as it would be interesting to see how things pan out. Meanwhile, we present the match preview for the same.
Current form
Both the sides have played seven games so far. As for SRH, it has managed to win just a game, besides losing six and lurks at the bottom of the table. As for MI, it has won four and lost three and is placed on fourth.
Team combination
Considering the team combinations, SRH has a batting-heavy side, while with equal capped recruits across departments, it would rely on its batting strength to post a challenging total on an of late high-scoring Delhi track. Manish Pandey, skipper Kane Williamson and wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow could go all guns blazing.
As for MI, its is bowling heavy, both in terms of numbers and capped talents. Therefore, it won't be easy to score against the MI bowlers, while the champion could defend even the smallest of targets.
Injury concerns
There is no concern for MI. However, SRH would be without all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who pulled out due to personal reasons, while pacer T Natarajan has been ruled out due to knee injury.
Head-to-head
Of the 17 games between the two to date, MI has won nine, with SRH winning eight. As for the 14 matches in India, MI leads 8-6, while it would be their maiden clash in Delhi.
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Weather and pitch report
The Delhi weather would be hot, with a temperature of around 40 degrees and 20% humidity. The track is ideally sluggish but has been high-scoring in the past couple of games. Therefore, expect a score of 180-plus, while with the dew factor in mind, teams would like to bowl first.
Probable XI
SRH: Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson (c), Vijay Shankar, Abdul Samad, Kedar Jadhav, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma and Khaleel Ahmed.
MI: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, James Neesham, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Dhawal Kulkarni and Jasprit Bumrah.
Fantasy XI
Batsmen: Rohit, Pandey, Suryakumar, Pandya- Rohit is to give the right start, followed by Pandey at number three. While Surylumar can consolidate at number four, Pandya would be the best finisher.
Wicketkeeper: Bairstow (c)- He is the ideal man for this department due to his consistent form and opening abilities, making him the skipper.
All-rounders: Pollard, Shankar, Krunal- Pollard has been in good form in all departments and is a no-brainer here, while Shankar is to contribute primarily with the ball. As for Krunal, he would be effective with his spin and play the big shots.
Bowlers: Boult, Rashid, Chahar- Boult has been delivering consistently with his lethal pace and is a must-have. Meanwhile, Rashid and Chahar have been highly productive with their spins and are sure to trouble the batsmen in this tie.
Match details
Date and day: May 4, 2021 (Tuesday)
Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Time: 7.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi (Also available in HD, along with regional languages)
Where to watch (Online): Hotstar
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