Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad face off in pursuit of a third win

Two teams who have historically been consistent in their top 4 positions, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad will face off in Sharjah seeking their third win in the Dream11 IPL 2020. While the Mumbai Indians have looked strong despite having only two wins on the board from four games, the Sunrisers are slowly warming up to the task at hand, winning their last two games. 

The Sunrisers had seen their batting floundering after the top 3, but since have been forced into making a host of changes, bringing in Kane Williamson to shore up the middle order. Abdul Samad, the Indian replacement for Mohammad Nabi who has had to forfeit his place to Kane Williamson, has lent the team the balance it needed with his finishing ability and leg-spin. With their inexperienced Indian contingent rising to the occasion - Priyam Garg with a half-century against CSK and T Natarajan’s spell against the Delhi Capitals being the standout - the team which failed to land its punches in the first two games now suddenly dons a solid look.

Rashid Khan looks to be back to his menacing best, which makes their bowling unit looks much more potent. The fast bowling unit may miss the cool head of Bhuvneshwar Kumar to injury, but the Sunrisers will have a bowler of a similar ilk in Sandeep Sharma to replace him, although not as experienced and skilled as the India international.

Mumbai Indians on the other hand look like a well-settled team. An in-form Rohit Sharma provides a solid threat at the top of the order. Quinton de Kock will have a great chance to return to form on a smallish Sharjah outfield. Ishan Kishan played an innings of a lifetime against RCB, and Saurabh Tiwary’s injury seems to have been a blessing in disguise for the Mumbai Indians. Pollard and Hardik will be cherishing the prospect of playing at Sharjah where there is no saying how many cricket balls will be lost on the day if they get going.

Except for the odd game against RCB in which their bowling failed to keep the lid on the scoring rate, Mumbai have generally performed well. Their spinners Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar returning combined figures of 53/3 from 8 overs against Punjab augurs well for a team that has all other bases covered. Bumrah gave nothing away against KXIP, while James Pattinson has quietly gone about his job well.

Expect another run-fest in Sharjah with power-hitters on either side filled to the brim. Sunrisers Hyderabad are known for their ability to strangle and restrict teams with their bowling, and that will undergo a litmus test today afternoon. Mumbai seem to have a bit more variety in their attack, and that might just be the deciding factor in a closely fought contest.