IPL 2018, SRH vs MI: Who will win today's match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians
Two teams with contrasting fortunes in their opening games will take on each other, looking to assert themselves in the competition.
Mumbai Indians have traditionally been slow starters and although they held the upper hand against CSK, they ended up losing their opening game of the IPL for the sixth successive season. They will be looking to bounce back away from home when they take on the Sunrisers.
SRH, on the other hand, showed that they aren't too dependant on David Warner as their bowling line-up came out on top. With plenty of options to choose from, they are a nightmare for not just the opposing batsmen but also everyone playing IPL fantasy this year.
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It will be interesting to see who comes out on top in this battle between bat and ball. Let's take a look at how the match might turn out:
Date: April 12
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
Time: 20:00 IST
If Sunrisers Hyderabad bat first
Predicted score: 160+
In the absence of Warner, Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson took it upon themselves to ensure that the Australian opener wasn't missed. While Williamson took over the captaincy duties, making some astute calls that helped them claim the victory, Dhawan was the star with the bat as he guided his side home.
Much like they did in their first game, SRH are likely to open with Wriddhiman Saha, which ensures that they have an explosive player who can make use of the powerplay whilst also getting the best out of the Indian keeper.
Having Williamson at No.3 and Manish Pandey at 4 is probably not the ideal scenario for either player as they would prefer to play one slot further up, it gives their middle-order more solidity. It also means that they have the firepower in Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan to finish the innings.
While MI do boast of a very good bowling line-up, it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back after Bravo's blitzkrieg in Mumbai. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Markande will be hard to get away but if SRH's top-order get a solid platform, they should have enough in the tank to score in excess of 160.
If Mumbai Indians bat first
Predicted score: 165+
Although both Evin Lewis and Rohit Sharma were dismissed cheaply in the first game, MI had enough firepower to put an above-par total on the board. While they won't want their explosive openers getting out early to be a regular occurrence, the first match showed that they still have plenty left in the tank.
However, if Lewis and Rohit do get going, no total is safe and they will want their two best batsmen to showcase their complete array of skills against SRH. Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan both got off to a good start and the two Pandya brothers will once again be key in determining how much MI can get on the board.
A solid platform from the openers could mean that a total in excess of 220 is on the cards but SRH have Rashid Khan, who will play a crucial part in the middle overs. At the start, they have the raw pace of Billy Stanlake and towards the end, MI have to go through a formidable SRH bowling line-up.
They not only have Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddarth Kaul but can also call on Rashid Khan towards the end. Still, given Mumbai's firepower, they should be able to get to a score in excess of 165.
Match prediction:
While Sunrisers Hyderabad will be banking on their formidable bowling line-up, MI will count on their considerable batting strength to get them over the line. As SRH showed in their opening game, their bowling is good enough to win a game on their own and even against a strong MI batting line-up, they have enough variety to outfox the visitors.
For MI, a lot will depend on their openers as their middle-order isn't the most experienced and if they fall early, it could be curtains for them. That, coupled with the fact that the SRH middle-order play spin very well, means that the hosts hold the upper hand and have a better chance of coming out on top.