Defending champs MI need to beat SRH by at least 171 runs to avoid IPL-14 exit
Mumbai Indians players celebrate the wicket of Rajasthan Royals’ Shivam Dube at Sharjah on Tuesday. Pic/BCCI; IPL
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will need to outclass bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the last league match of the IPL here today, knowing fully well the tricky situation they have found themselves in their bid for a play-offs spot.
Courtesy their eight-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals (RR), the defending champions are currently at the sixth spot, with 12 points from 13 games, with a net run rate of -0.048.
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But, Kolkata Knight Riders, with a net run rate of +0.587, are sitting on the fourth spot with 14 points from 14 games after their 86-run win over RR on Thursday.
MI may find it very difficult to qualify for the play-offs as Rohit Sharma & Co need to beat SRH by at least 171 runs.
Rohit (363 runs) will have to lead from the front again. He has got starts, but has not been able to convert them, and the great white-ball exponent would be itching for a big score.
And so would be his opening partner Ishan Kishan (157 runs), whose confidence would have been boosted from his unbeaten fifty against RR.
MI’s horribly out of form middle order, comprising the supremely talented Suryakumar Yadav (235 runs), all-rounders Hardik Pandya (117 runs), Kieron Pollard (232) and Saurabh Tiwary (115 runs), will have to come good.
On their day, they can take any opposition attack to the cleaners and SRH’s would be no exception.
MI team management would, however, be pleased with the performance of their bowlers, who had restricted RR for a meagre 90 and are unlikely to tinker with the combination.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah (19 wickets) was exceptional and would be raring to bowl his yorkers again.
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