IPL 2019 – Match 51: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Predicted Playing XI

For quite a while, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was stuck in a mid-table tussle. Their wins and losses have come in clusters. Barring the first game, whether they’ve lost or won, it’s always been multiple games. Hence, this left them uncertain in the points table. They were tied with three other teams on 10 points and a loss against Kings XI Punjab would’ve dented their chances of making it to the playoffs.

However, a comprehensive win against Ravichandran Ashwin and co has put them in really good stead. They now have 12 points with two games left. This means that they can reach 16 points which will guarantee a spot in the top four as all other teams below SRH can reach a maximum of 14 points.

SRH have been reliant on their top order to do the bulk of the scoring. However, Sunrisers will miss the services of David Warner who has flown back to Australia to prepare for the upcoming 2019 World Cup. Hence, there will be changes at the top for SRH. They next play Mumbai Indians who need one more win to secure a place in the playoffs.

Openers (Martin Guptill, Wriddhiman Saha)

Martin Guptill has spent almost the entire season warming the bench. He’s been patiently waiting for his opportunity. One would’ve thought that maybe the departure of Jonny Bairstow would open the doors for the Kiwi opener. However, SRH decided to opt for the extra all-rounder. But in David Warner’s absence, Guptill will finally get his chances at the top of the order.

Wriddhiman Saha has played just a couple of games in this season. He opened the batting for the first time in the last game and did well. He struck 28 off 13 balls to give SRH a quickfire start. The Bengal wicket-keeper batsman will most likely continue to open the batting.

Middle-order (Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Vijay Shankar)

The middle-order has been an area of concern for SRH. They have often struggled when the openers fail to fire. However, Manish Pandey had a terrible start to this tournament. But batting at No. 3 has given him a fresh lease of life. He’s looked in fabulous touch ever since he made a comeback a few games ago. In the three games, he’s batted at 3, he’s had scores of 83 not out, 61 and 36.

Meanwhile, Kane Williamson has been in and out of the team with injury and some personal reasons. However, he hasn’t hit form this season. With the top-order firing, SRH hasn’t really felt his absence. However, with Warner now gone, the responsibility will be on him to lead the charge with the bat. After being picked as India’s No. 4 for the World Cup, Vijay Shankar has just gone off the boil this season. He hasn’t been able to produce the goods in the middle.

All-rounders (Mohammad Nabi, Abhishek Sharma)

Mohammad Nabi has been in and out of the side as well. However, he has done pretty well with both bat and ball whenever he’s got the opportunity. He was promoted to No. 4 in the last game as SRH needed some quick runs towards the death. However, he is usually expected to bat lower down the order.

Abhishek Sharma has had very little to do this IPL. With the ball, he’s bowled just a couple of overs while with the bat, he’s batted in two innings but has faced just six deliveries in total. He is expected to hold on to his place despite not getting proper opportunities.

Bowlers (Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma)

Bowling as always been SRH’s strength over the last few years. However, this year hasn’t really been their year with the ball. Their frontline pacers haven’t really fired at all cylinders like the previous seasons. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has not looked at his absolute best while Sandeep Sharma has blown hot and cold in games. He’s expensive in some games while he picks up wickets in some.

Khaleel Ahmed has been a revelation this season. After playing for India, he’s turned up really well this season. He was brought in late but has already taken 11 wickets in six games. On the other hand, Rashid Khan continues to be a massive threat to the opposition. A lot of teams have tried playing him out without giving him wickets. However, he has still managed to pick up 14 wickets this season.

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