21 May,2023 07:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mumbai Indians (Pic: @BCCI/Twitter)
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians will be desperate for a victory by a big margin over wooden spooners Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Sunday, in what could also be their last outing in this year's Indian Premier League.
While SRH are already ruled out of the race to the playoffs, Mumbai Indians, who have one last chance left, will be keen to make the most of their excellent show here at the Wankhede Stadium this season so far, and bolster their chances of qualification.
With four wins and two defeats, MI have certainly taken full advantage of their homeground, something that Rohit Sharma's men would want to continue as they also have the final opportunity to improve their Net Run Rate (NRR).
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Unlike Rajasthan Royals who have finished the league round with 14 points and a superior NRR of 0.148, Mumbai Indians can do one better and end with 16 points, but they must also win big. Their chances will get stronger if they win and RCB lose, whereas if they both win their respective games on Sunday, the NRR will come into play. Needless to say, a loss would shut the doors on MI's chances.
It will be imperative for the Rohit-led side to not squander opportunities like they did in the last two games, allowing Gujarat Titans to reduce the margin of defeat drastically while losing to Lucknow Super Giants by five runs and missing out on two points, which at this stage, would have kept MI above both RCB and RR.
MI's biggest concern, on their home ground, has been their bowling which conceded four totals on the trot in excess of 200 and nearly a fifth against RCB, which has left their batters under severe pressure.
Also Read: MI eye last-four finish against 'out-of-reckoning' SRH amid death bowling woes
On the other hand, with nothing to lose, SRH will aim to end on a high and repeat most of the good work they did against RCB in their last outing.
Heinrich Klaasen's superb century came too late in this IPL for SRH's liking but they gave a glimpse of what they can do with the bat, although as a side, the 2016 champions have lacked both direction and firepower.
Wicketkeeper: Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen (vc)
Batters: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tim David, Rohit Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma
All-rounders: Aiden Markram
Bowlers: Piyush Chawla, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jason Behrendorff
Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green, Vishnu Vinod, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Piyush Chawla, Chris Jordan, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal
Harry Brook, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Abdul Samad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, T Natarajan
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (c), Chris Jordan, Arshad Khan, Jason Behrendorff, Dewald Brevis, Piyush Chawla, Tim David, Raghav Goyal, Cameron Green, Ishan Kishan (wk), Duan Jansen, Chris Jordan, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Riley Meredith, Shams Mulani, Ramandeep Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Hrithik Shokeen, Tristan Stubbs, Arjun Tendulkar, Tilak Varma, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Suryakumar Yadav.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Aiden Markram (c), Abdul Samad, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips, Abhishek Sharma, Marco Jansen, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kartik Tyagi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T. Natarajan, Umran Malik, Harry Brook, Mayank Agarwal, Heinrich Klaasen, Adil Rashid, Mayank Markande, Vivrant Sharma, Samarth Vyas, Sanvir Singh, Upendra Yadav, Mayank Dagar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akeal Hosein and Anmolpreet Singh.
Mumbai Indians win toss, elects to field first against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Mayank Agarwal, Vivrant Sharma, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen(w), Harry Brook, Nitish Reddy, Glenn Phillips, Sanvir Singh, Mayank Dagar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Chris Jordan, Piyush Chawla, Jason Behrendorff, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal
7:45 PM: Mumbai win by 8 wickets
Cameron Green hits his maiden T20 and IPL hundred off the last ball of the match as Mumbai Indians beat Sunrisers by eight wickets to remain in the hunt for a place in the playoffs. After this win, they await the result of the RCB vs GT game in Bengaluru.
7:36 PM: 198/2 (17 overs)
Just mere formalities left now. One big shot and it is over. MI will win and stay in the hunt for a spot in playoffs.
7:20 PM: 165/2 (15 overs)
Umran Malik back on for SRH with five overs to go. Surya and Green are in the middle. Will there be another twist in the tale here? Does not look like Umran gets smashed for a boundary off Green straight down the ground.
7:10 PM: 148/1 (13 overs)
Rohit Sharma and Cameron Green are cruising in the chase of 201 runs. The required rate has dropped below 8 now. Untill SRH pick wickets in a cluster here, this is MI's game.
6:58 PM: 126/1 (11 overs)
Fifty off just 31 balls for Rohit Sharma. What a captain's knock this has been from Hitman. Mumbai inching closer to win.. There is a lot of batting to come. Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David still waiting in the dugout. Consider MI favourites to win from here.
6:48 PM: 101/1 (9 overs)
Cameron Green is batting like a dream at the moment. T20 batting at its best right now as Green is dealing in only boundaries and sixes. Reaches individual fifty in just 20 balls. Rohit ensures he is there at the other end.
6:37 PM: 73/1 (7 overs)
Cameron Green lights up Wankhede with some crazy hitting. The Sunrisers don't have an answer to this onslaught at the moment. Let me see how they control the run machine here. Time to unleash Umran Malik here maybe.
6:28 PM: 51/1 (6 overs)
Cameron Green has smashed a big six after Rohit gets dropped in the 5th over. Green is a big wicket here as he can take the game away from Sunrisers with power-hitting. Fifty up for MI inside the powerplay.
6:15 PM: 28/1 (4 overs)
That's the end of Ishan Kishan's innings in this match. He makes 14 off 12 balls before departing. Caught by Brook brilliantly as it was tough high catch. Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the wicket. Cameron Green joins Rohit in the middle.
6:00 PM: 17/0 (2 overs)
Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan off to good start in the chase. Seven off the first over. Ishan Kishan smashes six off the first ball of the 2nd over. Mumbai Indians up and running in the chase of 201 runs.
5:45 PM: 200/5 (20 overs)
Aiden Markram smashes 6 off the last ball of the innings to take Sunrisers Hyderabad to exact 200 on the board. Mayank and Vivrant shone with fifties. But middle order crumbled. Markram six took them to 200 mark but they could have scored more. MI pulled things back in style thanks to Akash Madhwal. MI need 201 runs to win.
5:30 PM: 181/3 (18.2 overs)
Wicket for Mumbai as Phillips departs. Akash Madhwal has bowled brilliantly today. Markram joins Klaasen in the middle and this pair will look to take Sunrisers past 200 here. That should be the target.
5:20 PM: 181/3 (18 overs)
Wicket for Mumbai as Phillips departs. Akash Madhwal has bowled brilliantly today. Markram joins Klaasen in the middle and this pair will look to take Sunrisers past 200 here. That should be the target.
5:10 PM: 176/2 (17 overs)
After stroking a brilliant 83 off just 46 balls, Mayank Agarwal departs. Glenn Phillips comes to the crease as Markram drops himself down in the batting order. SRH aim for a total of 200 or more.
4:58 PM: 173/1 (16.2 overs)
Klaasen begins the 17th over with a boundary. He is a big wicket here for MI. SRH looking for a big total on the board. Mayank nearing a hundred, will be his second in the league if he gets it.
4:46 PM: 148/1 (14.2 overs)
Finally, a wicket for Mumbai Indians as Vivrant departs after stroking 69 off 47 balls. Akash Madhwal with the wicket for MI. Klaasen joins Mayank in the middle as SRH aim a total beyond 200.
4:44 PM: 137/0 (14 overs)
Mayank and Vivrant are enjoying the batting conditions as they have both brought up their fifties in the game. What a reply from Mayank this is after sitting out for most of the IPL 2023 due to poor form. MI on back foot.
4:32 PM: 103/0 (12 overs)
Mayank Agarwal and Vivrant have completed the 100-run opening stand for Sunrisers. Mumbai are completely under pressure here and need a wicket to pull things back now. Mark Boucher, MI coach, says that they would want to limit the damage from here.
4:23 PM: 84/0 (10 overs)
Vivrant and Mayank have stitched the second-highest opening partnership this year for SRH. This is their seventh opening pair in IPL 2023. Sunrisers now need to bat more aggressively as we approach the halfway mark of the innings.
4:39 PM: 70/0 (8 overs)
What a show by the openers so far in the first seven overs. Vivrant and Mayank have dominated the proceedings so far. MI need a wicket or they are chasing a total beyond 200 in this do-or-die clash.
4:10 PM: 47/0 (6 overs)
Mayank Agarwal and Vivrant Sharma have taken SRH to a good start. The openers looked shaky at the start but they have recovered well. MI introduce Piyush Chawla into the attack now as they are under pressure to pick a wicket.
3:56 PM: 23/0 (4 overs)
Mayank struggled in the first over but he makes room and goes big. Collects a few boundaries in the third over to up the run-scoring rate. MI bowlers are being put under pressure.
3:40 PM: 6/0 (2 overs)
Behrendorff bowls the first over and gives five. Vivrant smashed him for a boundary on the first ball but a solid comeback from the left-arm bowler to give just one run off the next five. Green bowls the second over.
3:30 PM: Match begins!
Mayank Agarwal and Vivrant Sharma open innings today for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Jason Behendroff in attack mode for Mumbai.