What

MI, the only team at this stage to have a confirmed passage to the playoffs, will look to add to their nine wins this season, when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 48 of VIVO IPL 2017.

In their most-recent outing, MI annihilated the Delhi Daredevils, dismissing them for their lowest total. All departments are firing for the two-time champions, who will now focus to finish the league season among the top two teams.Early qualification also gives MI the opportunity to rest any of the seven players who have featured in all their eleven matches this season and give the guys on the bench a run in the middle.

Sunrisers Hyderabad meanwhile will look to return to winning ways. The defending champions have lost their last two matches – one on the road and the other at home. The famed SRH bowling line-up didn’t live up to its billing in the match against Delhi Daredevils, while in the following game against RPS, the batsmen underperformed and couldn’t chase down a modest total of 149.

SRH currently have 13 points. With five teams vying for three playoff spots, and with just one more match left to play after this one, the SRH camp will know that they can control their chances of defending the title only if they clinch two points in this match.

When

08May 2017, 2000 Hrs IST

Where

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

The Protagonists

If he gets a look-in yet again, Lendl Simmons should be the one player to keep an eye on in the Mumba Indians line-up. The Trinidadian, who has been a consistent run-getter for the Mumbai Indians over the years, wasted no time in making his presence felt when he scored a breezy 43-ball 66 in his maiden outing in the previous match. The left-handed batsman Nitish Rana (MI’s top run-getter this season) and Rohit Sharma will be key figures in MI’s batting scheme of things.

David Warner – the current Orange Cap holder – has won several matches for SRH; the left-hander has batted conservatively and led SRH to wins, and on other occasions he has demolished opponents and powered his team to wins. The captain is the most important batsman for SRH, though there are several other form players in Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson and Yuvraj Singh.

SRH will be without the services of the experienced Ashish Nehra – who injured his hamstring in the previous match, and hence the team will expect Bhuvneshwar Kumar to return a rich haul of wickets. The current Purple Cap holder, Bhuvneshwar has outstanding numbers against the Mumbai Indians; he has 12 wickets in in 7 matches against MI and an economy rate of 5.42.

Match within the match

The SRH line-up has three left-handers – David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj Singh - in the top four, and it will be interesting to see how they go against Harbhajan Singh.

Head to Head

Overall: Matches played – 9, Sunrisers Hyderabad Won – 4, Mumbai Indians Won – 5.

Trivia

Sunrisers Hyderabad have won 5 of their 6 matches at home this season. MI meanwhile have the most away wins this season; they’ve won 4 of their 5 matches on the road.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are the only team to have used the same opening pair so far this season; Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner have opened in all the 11 matches for SRH.

Rohit Sharma has a dismal record against SRH; he has scored a total of 102 runs in nine innings against SRH with a highest score of 24. In his last three innings against SRH, Rohit has been dismissed for scores of 5, 5 & 4.

What Next

For Sunrisers Hyderabad: Final league fixture against Gujarat Lions (Kanpur), May 13

For Mumbai Indians: Return fixture (Home) Vs. Kings XI Punjab, May 11