IPL 2020, SRH vs MI: Who won yesterday's match?
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) beat the Mumbai Indians (MI) by putting on a clinical display that was perhaps a reflection of what the teams were looking for.
While SRH needed a win to qualify, MI could not move from their top spot regardless of the result. However, their fans would have wanted a little more than the whimper they produced after having been so dominant through the season.
There was very little that troubled SRH in their chase of 150. Since his instatement into the SRH top order, Wriddhiman Saha has been a revelation, and he continued with yet another fine contribution. An attacking David Warner dominated each of the MI bowlers as he notched up 500 runs in the IPL for a record sixth successive season.
SRH read the pitch well, as they finished off the game with almost three overs and all ten wickets to spare. It helped that MI were resting Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah, as their replacements didn't have the same menacing threat.
Rohit Sharma misses out as MI make 149/8
In a very interesting change, Rohit Sharma emerged from a cloud of an injury that prevented his selection for the Indian tour of Australia to play in an inconsequential game for MI. The captain and opener did not bring much to the table, as he spooned a catch to mid-off and departed early. His opening partner Quinton de Kock looked in great nick during his 25 off 13, but flattered to deceive.
Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan both struck thirties that saw them become the first uncapped pair in an IPL team to score above 400 runs in a season, but they were dismissed before they could dig in for the long haul.
It was then down to Kieron Pollard and his long levers to take the team to a respectable total. Though he was dismissed in the final over, his 41 off 25 added much-needed impetus to an MI innings that was otherwise very insipid.
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IPL 2020, SRH vs MI: Who was the Man of the Match?
Several players from SRH put their hands up in a mauling of the table-toppers. Sandeep Sharma took three, Jason Holder bowled well and dismissed Kieron Pollard, and the openers were all class in taking the team home without any nerves in a pressure game. However, for his wily bowling and subtle changes in pace, Shahbaz Nadeem was the winner of the award.
He got things underway by dismissing Suryakumar with a slower ball that had the batsman stumped thanks some quick work from behind the stumps. The left-arm spinner also orchestrated a bit of a collapse by dismissing Krunal Pandya for a duck in the same over, as the MI all-rounder skewed one off the toe-end to Williamson inside the circle. Nadeem finished with an impressive economy rate of 4.75 as well.
For his tight bowling that wound a noose around the MI middle order, Shahbaz Nadeem was the Man of the Match in yesterday's IPL game.