Mumbai Indians hold the key for top 4

If MI wins today, SRH will be out of the playoffs race. If they lose against Delhi Capitals in the next fixture, Bangalore, Punjab, Kolkata, and Hyderabad will be eliminated. Mumbai Indians are out of the playoffs race but are left with two games and can largely influence the fate of other teams in the Top 4. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad has very slim chances of making it to the playoffs. But one more loss and they would be out of the competition. They have had quite a roller-coaster of a journey in this tournament. They looked on track halfway with five wins on the trot; however, the fortunes took a U-turn and are now standing with five consecutive losses. The form of skipper Kane Williamson has been a matter of concern. Their once so strong looking bowling unit, too, has faded after successes in a few matches. After losing games, they have a lot to do with a considerable margin in the two remaining matches to reach the playoffs.  

On the other hand, Mumbai Indians, having nothing to lose, are playing some fearless cricket. They have been outstanding with their bowling unit against Chennai Super Kings. However, the top-order batters struggled even in the low-scoring match. Tilak Varma yet again, maintaining the temperament and maturing to take Mumbai over the line after a top-order collapse. Skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been going through a lean patch this IPL, will look to contribute a few runs in the remaining matches.

Players to watch out for

Batters: Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma

Both the batters are the leading run-scorers for their respective teams. While Tilak Varma has scored 368 in 12 matches at an average of 40.88, Abhishek Sharma has scored 374 in 12 games, averaging 31.16. And thus, both will play crucial roles in anchoring the batting unit for their teams.

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah and Umran Malik

Jasprit Bumrah is the joint-highest wicket-taker for MI with 11 wickets in 12 matches, with an economy of 7.19 and a strike rate of 24.7. He’s one of the most experienced and vital wicket-takers for MI. After failing to take wickets in three matches, Umran Malik made a comeback to pick 3 in the previous match for 33 runs. SRH would expect a decent and match-winning performance for the pacer.

Stats to keep an eye on

• Sunrisers Hyderabad has won only one of their nine matches at the Wankhede Stadium, where Mumbai carries a win percentage of 62.3 at the venue. 
• Mumbai Indians have conceded 94 sixes, while Sunrisers Hyderabad has conceded 92, the second and the third-most by a team this season. These two are in the bottom four in terms of hitting sixes.

It is a critical game for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and they will be looking to put forward a strong performance against Mumbai Indians to keep their hopes alive for the season. With ten wins out of 18 face-offs in IPL history, Mumbai Indians find an edge over Hyderabad in a must-win game.