IPL 2024, MI vs SRH: Here are the key battles
What's the story
Mumbai Indians are set to host Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 55 of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
While MI are all but out of the playoff race with just three wins in 11 outings, SRH are fourth in the points table with six wins in 10 games.
The impending clash offers several intriguing player battles. Here are a few of them.
#1
Rohit Sharma vs Pat Cummins
Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins, the two captains of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup finalists, will lock horns in the upcoming clash.
The Aussie seamer has dismissed Rohit thrice in T20 cricket, while the latter owns 57 runs off 39 balls in this rivalry.
The previous SRH-MI encounter, which recorded over 520 runs, saw Cummins dismiss the former MI skipper.
#2
Rohit Sharma vs left-arm pacers
In the past, Rohit has been outfoxed by left-arm pacers across formats.
Bowlers like Trent Boult and Shaheen Afridi, among others, have troubled him with in-swinging deliveries.
Notably, Rohit has fallen to left-arm seamers five times in IPL 2024.
The MI batter will face Marco Jansen, T Natarajan, and Jaydev Unadkat in the impending clash.
#3
Heinrich Klaasen vs Piyush Chawla
Time and time again, South African batter Heinrich Klaasen has shown why he is dangerous against spin.
He smacked 3 fours and as many sixes for SRH against Rajasthan Royals, going after Yuzvendra Chahal.
Klaasen strikes at 159.44 against spinners in T20s, which improves to 188.64 in the IPL.
His battle with MI leg-spinner Piyush Chawla will be one to watch out for.
#4
Travis Head vs Jasprit Bumrah
Despite his uncanny abilities, MI haven't used Jasprit Bumrah much in the Powerplay in IPL 2024.
MI can't let SRH get away with another blistering start this time. They would want Bumrah to go after their top order.
It remains to be seen how he will tackle Travis Head.
Notably, Head has managed just 12 runs off 10 balls against Bumrah in the IPL.