Will SRH arrest their slide against upbeat MI? | SunRisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians: SWOT Analysis

Mumbai Indians have adapted well to the pitches in Delhi

Sunrisers Hyderabad would be aiming to end its streak of three successive losses when they face an upbeat Mumbai Indians in match 31 of IPL 2021 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Here is the analysis of the two teams.

SWOT for SRH

Strengths: The only saving grace for SRH is the form of Rashid Khan. The leg spinner has picked 10 wickets from 7 games and is the team’s highest wicket-taker. Rashid stands fifth on the list of the leading wicket-takers this season. Against RR, Rashid managed to pick the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal and gave away only 24 in a match when all other bowlers in his team bled runs thick and fast.

Weaknesses: SRH’s poor middle-order keeps disappointing again and again. Against RR in a tall chase, once the top-3 comprising of Manish Pandey, Jonny Bairstow, and Kane Williamson got out, the middle-order folded without giving much of a fight. The SRH team management has tried every possible combination but the runs don’t seem to be coming from the middle order. The team is clueless on how to solve this problem of theirs.

Opportunities: Ahead of SRH’s game against RR, the team management clearly stated that there would be a change in the overseas combination. Hence, former skipper David Warner was benched and Mohammad Nabi was brought in. But Nabi did not do himself any good as he conceded 21 runs from the only over that he bowled and scored just 17 runs from 5 balls. Skipper Kane Williamson could be looking to give opportunities to either Jason Holder or Jason Roy.

Threats: SRH were one of the most consistent teams in the league. The team holds a unique record of being the only side to have consistently qualified for the playoff stage since 2016. But with the team enduring a horrendous run, there is a realistic threat of them missing out on a playoff spot this time around and moreover, finish last in the league.

SWOT for MI

Strengths: MI batters seem to be finding their mojo back just at the right time. In the two matches that the team has played so far in Delhi, at least one batter has hit a fifty. Against RR, Quinton de Kock hit 70 from just 50 balls and remained unbeaten in the chase. Then against CSK, all-rounder Kieron Pollard played one of the best T20 innings seen in the IPL as he hammered 87 from a mere 34 deliveries to pull off a stunning chase. The Pandya brothers too appear to be returning to form. The pitches in Delhi also seem to be suiting the MI batters. One can expect much more from the MI batters in this match as well.

Weaknesses: MI’s strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah is falling off the radar this season. The pinpoint toe-crushing yorkers that Bumrah is known for has gone missing. The wickets are not coming at regular intervals with the pacer picking just 6 wickets from 7 matches. And above all, Bumrah is conceding too many runs. Against CSK, Bumrah returned with his most expensive figure (1/56 in 4 overs) in his IPL career.

Opportunities: Rohit Sharma has used Krunal Pandya more as a proper batter than as an all-rounder in the previous two games. Krunal, on his part, has not disappointed. Batting at no.4 on both occasions, Krunal has come up with useful knocks of 39 off 26 and 32 off 23. This is now Krunal’s chance to enhance his batting credentials.

Threats: The team looks upbeat at the moment in conditions which are favourable to them. The team is back in the reckoning for a playoff spot. Barring for an injury or a health issue to a key player, there seems to be no looming threat to the team.

Head-to-Head

Matches played: 17

SRH: 8

MI: 9

What happened in their first clash?

In a low-scoring fixture, MI scored 150/5, thanks to a steady innings of 40 from 39 by opener Quinton de Kock. In response, SRH opener Jonny Bairstow hammered 43 from 22 balls, but no other batter came good as Trent Boult (3 wickets) and Rahul Chahar (3 wickets) ripped apart SRH. The team could muster only 137 runs in 19.4 overs. MI thus won the match by 13 runs.

Form Guide (last five matches):

SRH: L-L-L-W-L

MI: W-W-L-L-W

Team News

No injury concern(s) for either team.

Impact player for SRH

Kane Williamson: SRH’s new skipper, Kane Williamson, remains one of the best match-winners in the team. In the 206 T20 games that Williamson has played, he has mounted 5,291 runs at an average of 31.87 and a strike rate of 125.55. But Williamson’s experience and skills would matter little if others in the team keep failing.

Impact player for MI

Kieron Pollard: The big all-rounder is back at his best. And not only is he hammering the ball for sixes and fours, he is picking up wickets as well. By being in form, Pollard is not making MI feel the absence of Hardik Pandya as the all-rounder. Pollard has picked 3 wickets so far and scored 168 runs.