IPL 2021 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians: May 4, Match 31 Prediction

In this article, we preview Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians, match 31 of the IPL 2021 scheduled to be played in Delhi on May 4. Having played 5 games, MI are in 4^th place on the points table, while SRH who have played 6 matches are four rungs below them, at the very bottom.

Match Predictions and Team Previews

Last Match Between the Teams

SRH last met MI in Chennai on 17 April in the ongoing IPL. MI batted first and openers De Kock and Sharma added 55 runs for the first wicket in 6.3 overs. On a slow Chennai track, the MI innings never got going and the defending champions finished with 150/5 in their allotted overs. De Kock became the top scorer with 40 off 39 balls, while Vijay Shankar (2/19) was SRH’s most impressive bowler. When SRH replied, Bairstow and Warner gave them a great start with a partnership of 67 in 7.2 overs. But after the departure of Bairstow, the innings unravelled with a regular fall of wickets. As run-making got increasingly difficult, SRH batsmen struggled, especially in the death overs, to be bowled out for 137 in the last over. Rahul Chahar (3/19) was MI’s best bowler on the night while Boult (3/28), Bumrah (1/14) and Krunal Pandya (1/30) took the other wickets that fell.

Head-to-Head

Analysis

Defending champions MI have lost three of their five games played so far. MI’s unusually low winning rate must be attributed to the fact that they were stationed in Chennai where the wicket negated their death-over batting which has been their strength in recent years. But with the Chennai phase ended, you can expect MI to regain their mojo. As far as their bowling goes, it has been as lethal as ever, so rule out MI at your peril.

SRH are paying the penalty for not strengthening their lower middle order batting at the IPL auction. As a result, there is too much pressure on the top four batsmen to deliver. In the bowling department, there is overdependence on Rashid Khan which makes defending low targets much more difficult, especially in the absence of a death bowler of the quality of Natarajan who is out of the rest of the IPL with an injury.