IPL 2021, SRH vs MI: 3 player battles to watch out for

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are having one of the most torrid tournaments, having lost six of their seven matches in IPL 2021. They will go up against defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday (May 4).

MI are coming off a thrilling chase against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with Kieron Pollard slamming an unbeaten 34-ball-87 that saw the side chase down 218 in the final over.

SRH, meanwhile, are coming off a 55-run loss to the Rajasthan Royals (RR). The leadership change from David Warner to Kane Williamson was a hotly-debated topic as the team tweaked the batting order and composition only to see another defeat.

However, both sides have quality playmakers capable of making a difference single-handedly. Ahead of the all-important game for SRH, we take a look at the key player battles.

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#1 Kane Williamson vs Trent Boult

It's a Kiwi vs Kiwi clash which could define SRH's death overs, whether they are chasing or setting a target. Williamson's flamboyant batting will be tested by the sheer pace and swing that Boult has put to good use in this IPL.

Boult has eight wickets from seven games at an economy of 8.46. He may have been a tad expensive, but has assisted Jasprit Bumrah well as the second quick in the MI side.

Williamson, who has 128 runs from four games, is no stranger to Boult's thunderbolts and will be keen to make a mark as the newly-elected SRH skipper.

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#2 Kieron Pollard vs Rashid Khan

The tweaker has managed to dismiss MI's Pollard just once in the IPL so far and that makes for an interesting matchup. The hard-hitting Windies all-rounder will look to continue his good run with the bat and assert his dominance over SRH's best spinner.

Rashid has ten wickets from seven games so far at an economy of 6.14. The onus will be on him to prevent Pollard from cutting loose at the fag end of the innings.

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#3 Manish Pandey vs Jasprit Bumrah

While Pandey has been criticized for slowing the game down, his new role as an SRH opener will give him an opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the team.

Trying to fox him will be Jasprit Bumrah, who has just six wickets this IPL. Pandey, on the other hand, is third on the list of leading run-scorers for SRH, with 193 runs at an average of 48.25.

This encounter will be a test of Bumrah's accuracy vs Pandey's crisp timing.