IPL 2018 MI vs SRH: 5 player battles to look forward to 

S Sam
Kane Williamson

Both teams are coming off heartbreaking losses in their previous games and the urgency to get their IPL campaigns back on track will see a fierce contest tonight at Mumbai. The defending champions Mumbai Indians are in a strange position. They are 7th in the table, having lost 4 out of 5 but in many of those games, they were in the game till the last over. The could easily have won 3 of the 4 games they lost.

On the other hand, the visitors Sunrisers Hyderabad started off like an express train, winning 3 out of 3 but lost their last two games. Yet they are 4th in the table and maybe, their situation is not as desperate. The game will be shaped by some of the engrossing individual battles that are going to unfold tonight and here is a look at 5 of those.


#5 Mayank Markande v Kane Williamson

The battle between these two is going to be one of the many intriguing subtexts in tonight’s game between MI and SRH. The SRH captain has been in fine form throughout the tournament and in his last game, he showed that he could match the six-hitting prowess of the famous power-hitters in the game as well. Williamson is averaging 57.40 and his strike rate has also risen to 131.42.

On the other hand, there is the young leg-spinner Mayank Markande, who picked up the wickets of 4 of the top 5 SRH batsmen the last time these two teams met. Williamson only faced one delivery from Markande that time before being dismissed shortly after. However, he is now in fine nick and this is a battle that will have a huge bearing on the SRH batting effort. Markande is MI’s top wicket-taker with 8 wickets and he would like nothing more than adding the SRH captain to his scalps.

#4 Jasprit Bumrah v Shikhar Dhawan

Jasprit Bumrah

Although there is doubt about the availability of SRH’s star opener Shikhar Dhawan, he has traveled with the team to Mumbai unlike Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been ruled out. There is a definite possibility that he will play tonight and hence, his duel with MI’s Jasprit Bumrah is going to be something that all fans will look forward to. In their previous game, Dhawan got a 28 ball 45 and set the SRH on their way towards the win. He dominated Bumrah in that game and in fact, hit him for 3 fours in one over at one point.

However, it is a new game and although Bumrah was poor in his previous game against the Rajasthan Royals, he would simply have to get back into his best in this crucial game. That being said, another hammering at the hands of Dhawan might tilt the game in SRH’s favor yet again.

#3 Krunal Pandya v Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan

When the tournament began, Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan was regarded as one of the best in limited overs cricket but in the previous two games, the SRH spinner’s reputation has taken a few dents. He took 1 for 55 and 1 for 49 in the games against Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings respectively, which is a far cry from his usual performances. He would be anxious to get back his bowling form in tonight’s game against MI but he would come up against one of the best players of leg-spin bowling in the IPL in Krunal Pandya.

In the previous encounter, Khan went for just 13 in his 4 overs but it is a different time now and MI would want Pandya to go after him straightaway. The all-rounder has faced 70 deliveries from leg-spinners in the IPL and smashed 138 runs, recording a strike rate of 197.1 in the process. He has been dismissed only once along the way as well and if he faces Khan tonight, then the contest could prove to be a match-defining one.

#2 Rohit Sharma v Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh v Afghanistan - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

The MI captain is also their best batsman and in the encounter against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he got back to his best with a superb 94. However, in the previous game against Rajasthan Royals, he was run out for naught and in today’s crucial game in Mumbai tonight, Rohit Sharma would need to deliver against the best bowling attack in the IPL. He comes in to bat at number 4 these days and hence, he would most probably have to tackle the fast, accurate left-arm off-break of Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.

Shakib has been a steady performer for SRH throughout the season and has been successful in keeping a lid on things during the middle overs. He has recorded an economy rate of 7.66 and has picked up 5 wickets so far in as many games. Additionally, he has an excellent record at the Wankhede Stadium and has picked up six wickets so far to go along with an outstanding economy rate of 6.6. His battle with Rohit Sharma in tonight’s game is going to be absolutely crucial.

#1 Evin Lewis v Billy Stanlake

New Zealand v West Indies - 1st ODI

The MI opening batsman may have been dismissed for a duck in the previous game when he edged one on to his stumps against the Rajasthan Royals but Evin Lewis has been in excellent hitting form. He got 65 and 48 in the two games prior to that and would definitely be one of the key players for MI as they try to record their 2nd win in the tournament. He has the highest strike rate among all MI batsman and is currently striking at 157.77.

However, today he will come against a bowler who has proven to be a revelation. SRH’s Australian fast bowler Billy Stanlake has been the fastest bowler in the tournament, often bowling with speeds in excess of 150 km/hr and his opening battle with Evin Lewis is going to be fascinating. In the previous game, Lewis had the better of Stanlake and hit him for two fours and two sixes before perishing for 29. The second installment of this contest will have a huge bearing on the game and the big Australian will surely have a plan on how to tackle Lewis.

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Edited by Amar Anand