MI host SRH at their erstwhile home
May 7: The jury is still out on the impact of a break in Twenty20 cricket. Mumbai Indians (MI) are set to discover its perks and perils when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) after a week’s hibernation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016. What clouds the contest with further uncertainty is the fact that the match will be played at a neutral venue in Visakhapatnam, which incidentally co-hosted SRH last year.
While MI have pressed the momentum button just in the nick of time, winning three on the bounce, SRH have been remarkably consistent since losing the opening two matches of the tournament. Fortunes of both teams have thus far been hitched primarily to the performance of their captains — Rohit Sharma and David Warner and versatile pace attacks that have kept opposition batsmen on a tight leash.
What separates them, however, is the ability of SRH pacers to strike with the new ball as opposed to MI’s penchant for keeping scores from inflating despite leaking runs early. TOP PERFORMERS:
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: He was the catalyst for SRH’s twin triumphs over a strong Gujarat Lions team, both home and away. He also laid the cornerstone for a victory over Mumbai Indians earlier in the tournament with a wicket of Martin Guptill in the first over.
His four overs upfront could be decisive, especially if there is any swing on offer.
Jasprit Bumrah: Breathing down the neck of team-mate Mitchell McClenaghan, who is the joint highest wicket-taker this season, Bumrah’s death bowling skills have been impeccable.
He bowled a match changing spell against Rising Pune Supergiants, snaffling three for 29, which included the wicket of a rampaging Steven Smith who was threatening to take the match away from MI. He usually bowls two to three overs at the back end, a challenge he relishes by his own admission. Those overs could be just as crucial as Bhuvneshwar’s opening spell.
Ground’s recent IPL record: The DR Y.S Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA cricket stadium in Visakhapatnam hosted three matches last year.
The average first innings score was 156 and contrary to the general trend around the country in this year’s IPL, two matches were won by the team batting first.