IPL 2025 Preview, MIvSRH: Mumbai Indians Seek Home Win Against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Mumbai Indians will hope to stop the Sunrisers Hyderabad juggernaut when the two teams clash at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday.The hosts have had a familiar poor start, but they broke the losing streak in the last game by beating Delhi Capitals by 12 runs. It was a welcome win after losing by similar margins to Royal Challengers Bangalore at home and Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow.

Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have been consistent in the middle order, and Naman Dhir has provided flair at the death but the openers have struggled to set a good platform. Rohit Sharma in particular has failed to make any impact, and he will be keen to get a good knock behind his back. The honour of having a stand named after him at the iconic Wankhede stadium will give the beleaguered opener an added boost. Rohit’s opening partner Ryan Ricketlon has played a few good knocks, and skipper Hardik Pandya was lethal in the last game at home against RCB and almost pulled off an improbable chase.

MI have won just two games in six so far, with the other win coming at home when they thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets at the Wankhede Stadium. The five-time IPL champions have been in similar situations in the past and know how to turn the campaign around. Both MI and SRH are languishing in the bottom half of the table.

Hosts will look to Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar to make early inroads and send a dangerous opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head back in the dugout. The visitors have firepower in the middle order, also with Ishan Kishan determined to excel against his long-time home team. Kishan has hardly spent any time at the crease after announcing himself in SRH with a century. Heinrich Klaasen also can take the game away in a jiffy. SRH middle-order had struggled, and they will be tested against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, who has been scratchy after his comeback and will look to get back his mojo. MI have rotated slow bowlers, and leg-spinner Karn Sharma made an impact with three key wickets in the previous game against DC.

SRH chased down 245 against Punjab Kings in the last game, thanks to Abhishek’s 55-ball 141 and Head’s 37-ball 66. But their bowlers went for plenty with pace spearhead Mohammed Shami conceding 75 runs in 4 overs, the second most expensive figures in the IPL. Shami and Pat Cummins will hope to get assistance from Wankhede wicket which typically offers true bounce and initial movement. They will hope to inspire fellow bowlers to hit the right lengths.