SRH v MI Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2020 match

Heading into the final league stage match of the competition, there's a massive chance for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to bring a screeching halt onto the IPL 2020 playoffs hopes harbored by the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) faithful.

The Sunrisers have a chance to direct destiny in the path they choose, for a win against the Mumbai Indians (MI) today will take them into the playoffs. A loss, on the other hand, will see David Warner's men taking an early flight out of the United Arab Emirates.

Hyderabad have 12 points from the 13 matches they've played so far, and courtesy of their massive Net Run Rate (+0.555), a win will suffice for them to occupy the third spot on the IPL 2020 points table.

As for MI, they've already sealed the top spot and a berth in Qualifier 1, and they will be accorded the luxury of resting their players for this clash. This strategy could well very play into the hands of SRH, who have one shot at earning a spot in the last four.

The win or bust situation makes this Hyderabad v Mumbai clash that much more interesting, and with a lot riding on SRH's fortunes today, we've got an exciting encounter coming up today evening.

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IPL 2020: SRH v MI Match Prediction

Rashid Khan will have a huge role to play for SRH

At the halfway stage of IPL 2020, SRH had done decently enough to stay in contention for a spot in the IPL 2020 playoffs with three wins from seven matches. However, their campaign soon seemed to hit a brick wall, and with just one win from their next four games, Warner's men were soon staring down the barrel.

But wins from their last two matches against two of the top three teams in the Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore has instilled a sense of belief in the side ahead of this crucial clash against MI.

Wriddhiman Saha's inclusion at the top of the order has brought with it some much-needed intent in the powerplay overs, and the wicketkeeper-batsman's aggressive approach early on is a big plus for SRH.

Moreover, Warner will want to revisit his 60-run knock against the same opponents the last time these two sides met in Sharjah, and the success of the opening combination could have a major say on today's outcome.

On the bowling front, Rashid Khan, easily SRH's biggest trump card will undoubtedly be one of the biggest factors today. The Afghanistan superstar has figures of 1/24, 3/7 and 2/14 from his last three games, and the leggie's four overs will be crucial for SRH.

While Rashid's success this season has been one of the major highlights, Sandeep Sharma and T Natarajan's efforts have failed to grab the spotlight. Sandeep's Man of the Match performance against RCB will hold him in good stead, while Natarajan's variations could prove to make a big impact at Sharjah.

On the blue side of things, there's hardly anything that's gone wrong for MI. However, with the Qualifier 1 only less than two days away from today's match, the Indians will want to give their benched players some time out in the middle.

While MI's potential strategy to rest players could ease things out a bit for Warner's men, they've certainly got momentum on their side and some inspiration to make the playoffs. And with all to play for, SRH will undoubtedly come out all guns blazing today.

Prediction: SRH to win today.