3 things MI need to do right to defeat SRH in IPL 2023 clash
It's do-or-die time for five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) as they face SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their final IPL 2023 league fixture at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, May 21.
MI need nothing short of a win in order to keep their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs alive. While it won't guarantee them the 'Q' against their name until the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Gujarat Titans (GT) play out their match in Bengaluru later in the evening, a loss will certainly eliminate them from the race.
As you might have guessed, it's a contest where they cannot afford to put a foot wrong lest it cost them dearly. Rohit Sharma and Co. simply have to be on top of their game in order to take that step towards qualification.
Must win game for Mumbai Indians to stay alive in the tournament as they will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final home game 🏏
#MIvSRH #IPL2023 #Cricket https://t.co/j7FoXZkQwY
On that note, let's look at three things MI need to do right in order to defeat SRH in their IPL 2023 clash:
#1 Stop Heinrich Klaasen early before he settles in
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A special knock from Klaasen comes to an end 🙌🏻
📸: IPL/JioCinema
#IPL2023 #SRHvsRCB #cricket https://t.co/FtGwnmHXgS
Heinrich Klaasen has been the one sole ray of hope for SRH in IPL 2023, with his form peaking against RCB a few days ago as he struck a belligerent hundred. He is expected to have a massive say in today's contest on a good batting strip in Mumbai and hence, MI have to find a way to halt him from running away with the game.
They can take a cue out of what RCB failed to do and look to bombard the South African wicketkeeper-batter with pace and a well-directed short-pitched delivery. If they do turn to spin, keeping it wide of his reach as Yuzvendra Chahal did in Jaipur a couple of weeks ago is not a bad ploy.
It is worth remembering that Klaasen tore into Piyush Chawla in the first round between these two sides in Hyderabad before the latter had his man. Chawla will do well to keep it in mind and if he can make Klaasen reach for the ball, he might just induce a false stroke.
#2 Nail those yorkers at the death
Akash Madhwal gets Shubman Gill & David Miller.
Mumbai got him for 20 Lakhs. https://t.co/GvGlmA2q47
Sounds straightforward, doesn't it? Except, it really isn't given that death bowling is arguably the hardest trait to master in the T20 format. MI have leaked far too many runs in the death overs in IPL 2023 and suffered a similar fate against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) earlier in the week.
With Chris Jordan failing to leave his mark, there is every chance they could turn to Riley Meredith if he is fit for this clash. The Tasmanian nailed his yorkers at will in the earlier fixture against SRH this season and will be counted upon to do much the same today.
Akash Madhwal has been a revelation to that end, with the Uttarakhand seamer proving to be a handful with his pinpoint execution of the yorker. He lacks the experience for a crunch game such as this though and simply needs more from his colleagues in order to stop SRH from posting a big score.
#3 Perfect Cameron Green's entry point
Cameron Green deservingly won the player of the match award 🏏
📸: IPL/JioCinema
#IPL2023 #SRHvMI #CricketTwitter https://t.co/kpZzE3uUd0
This has been a talking point in recent IPL 2023 matches involving MI, with Cameron Green walking out to bat towards the back end of the innings. Having shown good form in the first half of the tournament while batting at No. 3, he has been pushed down the order with the team looking to utilize Suryakumar Yadav's form to the fullest.
While they have got Suryakumar's entry point spot on, it has come at a cost that has been reflected in the lack of sufficient returns off Green's blade. It is understandable why they wouldn't want to send him out in the middle overs since he does get tied down by spin, although MI must find a way to maximize his pace-hitting skills. Oh, he was also the Player of the Match when MI and SRH faced each other in Hyderabad a few weeks ago.
With Rohit Sharma showing signs of clicking into gear, Green as an opening batter may not be an immediate option. This is a bit of a quandary, but it is something they will hope to find the best solution for in a must-win clash against SRH.
Will MI be able to defeat SRH and qualify for the playoffs of IPL 2023? Have your say in the comments section below!
Also read: 3 teams whose batting line-ups haven’t been settled in IPL 2023