IPL 2024: SRH vs MI Match 8 - Top 3 player battles to watch out for

Sunrisers Hyderabad will be up against Mumbai Indians in the 8th match of IPL 2024. Both the teams will be facing each other after losing their respective first match of the tournament. While SRH lost a close match to KKR by four runs, MI lost a thriller to GT by six runs following a major collapse. Come the game at Hyderabad, both teams would be aiming to make a comeback.

It will be the first match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad this season. The wicket is usually known to be batting friendly. However, with the progression of the tournament, the wicket can be on the slower side. The match between SRH and MI is likely to have a good batting surface, as it is still the early stages of the tournament. One can expect a good contest between bat and ball given the quality of the players.

Both the teams have some of the best players in the world in their lineup. SRH is led by the ODI World Cup 2023 winning captain, Pat Cummins. In addition to it, they have some great players like Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Travis Head et al. MI, led by Hardik Pandya, has some great players like Rohit Sharma, Tim David, Jasprit Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee, Ishan Kishan, and many others. 

Also Check: IPL 2024 Orange Cap

Here are the top 3 player battles to watch out for in IPL 2024: SRH vs MI, Match 8 - 

1. Rohit Sharma vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Rohit Sharma has been in great form in recent times. The star batter had a brilliant run in the ODI World Cup 2023, where he was smashing the bowlers for fun. In the inaugural match of IPL 2024, Rohit was impressive with 43(29) against GT. When in flow, he can be difficult to be stopped. Given the fact that his performance will be important for the confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit would be hoping to make the most of the opportunities.

Similarly, IPL 2024 is very important for Bhuvneshwar Kumar for his aspirations to play in the T20 World Cup 2024. The last instance of the experienced bowler playing for India was in the semifinal game against England in the T20 WC 2022. While Kumar had a good stint with SRH in IPL 2023, he would be hoping to perform well against the best batters in the world to prove his mettle. The first major challenge for him would be to emerge victorious against Rohit.

Also Check: SRH vs MI MPL Opinio Today's Prediction - Who will win?

2. Hardik Pandya vs Pat Cummins

Hardik Pandya has been in the hot waters ever since he got traded from GT to MI. Not only is he being criticized for becoming the captain of MI, at the cost of a successful skipper like Rohit, but also is receiving flak for getting injured and remaining out of action for the major part of the home season. The best way for him to answer the critics would be through his performances. As Hardik is playing as a finisher which is his best suite, he can be expected to step up.

Pat Cummins had a sensational year in 2023 as a player. As a skipper, he won the WTC mace, ODI World Cup, and retained the Ashes. Even as a bowler, he was pretty good, performing well in many series. The challenge in 2024 for him would be to lead SRH well as a skipper and take them to glory. The star player will be watched closely by the critics who are critical of his death bowling. Cummins will be challenged in this regard when he will be up against someone like Hardik.

Also Check: IPL 2024 Purple Cap

3. Tilak Varma vs Mayank Markande

Tilak Varma has been one of the best youngsters in the league in the last couple of seasons. In IPL 2022 where MI had a forgettable campaign, he was the breakthrough star. He was even better in IPL 2023 where he improved as a batter and showed terrific intent. The Southpaw needs to have a great season as a batter in order to be in the reckoning to get selected for the T20 World Cup 2024. He can bat well against spinners, particularly in the middle overs phase.

Click Here: SRH vs MI Live Score, Match 8

Mayank Markande will be the bowler who can stop him. The talented spinner has good control over his line and length despite being a leg spinner. He can mix the googlies well with the stock delivery. Batters often fail to read him. The right-arm spinner does not give time to the batters to analyze him, as he operates at a quick pace. He is a wicket-taking bowler and would be aiming to dismiss the batters early. This promises to be an interesting battle between the two players.