IPL 2021: Match 55 SRH vs MI Preview, Playing XI, Live Streaming Details & Updates

Can the Mumbai Indians somehow sneak their way into the playoffs, or will the ‘Orange Army’ thwart MI’s hopes and end their campaign on a winning note?

Published - 07 Oct 2021, 18:59 IST | Updated - 07 Oct 2021, 18:59 IST

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Right then. 8th October 2021 is the final day of the league stages of IPL 2021, and the penultimate match of the league stage will be played between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have nothing to lose going into this match. The ‘Orange Army’ are already out of contention for a place in the playoffs and are placed at the last spot in the points table. Kane Williamson and his men have won just 3 out of their 13 matches in the tournament.

In their previous match, the SRH side beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) outfit in a close encounter, getting the better of Virat Kohli and his men by 4 runs. The ‘Orange Army’ will be hoping that they can finish their campaign on a positive note.

The biggest positive for the Hyderabad side this season is the emergence of Umran Malik. The 21-year-old youngster has rattled the speed guns, has sent in deliveries consistently at over 150 kmph, and has made batsmen hop around with his raw pace.

Kane Williamson has been in decent form in the tournament as well and has scored 266 runs at an average of 44.33. Jason Roy has also scored 116 runs in the 4 matches he has played this year. But other than that, the SRH batting line-up has come a cropper.

On the bowling front, Rashid Khan as usual has been the brightest spark. The leg spinner has picked up 16 wickets in the 14th IPL season and has scalped his wickets at an average of 20.94. Jason Holder has been impressive too and has prized out 12 batsmen in 7 matches at an excellent average of 16.25.

As far as Mumbai Indians (MI) are concerned, it is virtually a must-win game for them. And, even a victory might not guarantee them an entry into the playoffs, as they are behind the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in terms of Net Run Rate.

If KKR loses its last league match, a win is enough for the Mumbai side to sneak into the playoffs. But if KKR wins, then Rohit Sharma and his men will have to put out a superlative performance and crush the SRH side to have a chance of making it to the playoffs, as Net Run Rate will then come into play.

Rohit Sharma has been in good form for the five-time IPL champions, and Ishan Kishan’s return to form in the match against the RR side will come as a huge relief for the Mumbai outfit. Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya have also been in decent touch.

Jasprit Bumrah, as usual, has been outstanding with the ball this season. The right arm pacer has picked up 19 wickets for his side in IPL 2021 and has picked them at a superb average of 19.53. Nathan Coulter Nile was also impressive in MI’s last match and picked up 4 wickets.

The Mumbai side will be hoping that Trent Boult produces a good performance. The Kiwi left-arm seamer has picked up only 4 wickets in 6 matches in IPL phase 2, and also went wicketless in MI’s previous match against RR.

So, the final day of the league stages of the IPL has a lot in store for us. Can the Mumbai Indians (MI) sneak their way into the playoffs, or will the ‘Orange Army’ thwart MI’s hopes and end their campaign on a winning note?

Pitch and Conditions

The pitch at Abu Dhabi will keep both batsmen and bowlers interested. Batsmen who bide their time will be rewarded, and the bowlers will also get help on this track. The team winning the toss might want to chase, as 5 out of 7 matches on this ground have been won by the side batting second.

Playing Combinations for SRH vs MI

Sunrisers Hyderabad

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) side is likely to go in with the same playing XI from its previous match.

Predicted XI: Jason Roy, Abhishek Sharma, Kane Williamson (c), Priyam Garg, Jason Holder, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul, Umran Malik

Mumbai Indians

Rahul Chahar might come back into the MI playing XI instead of Jayant Yadav. The rest of the line-up will remain unchanged.

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rahul Chahar/Jayant Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult