Mumbai Indians will aim to reclaim the top spot when they meet the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. The match is expected to be a high-scoring one as it will take place in Sharjah - a batting paradise.
SRH would be hoping for their top order to shine after inconsistent performances since the beginning of the season. However, they received a blow late during the match against CSK when their leading pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar walked off injured. It is unsure whether he would take part in the match today.
Let's take a look at some of the key stats ahead of the game:
Head-to-head tie: After 14 IPL meetings, both sides have been statistically inseparable with seven wins each. Such has been the extent that, while Mumbai won both the meetings in 2019, Sunrisers dominated in 2018 and both won one apiece in 2017. However, it was Sunrisers who had won their only meeting on UAE soil, defeating Mumbai by 15 runs in Dubai.
At the venue: Mumbai played only one match at this venue and lost to Delhi Capitals, back in IPL 2014. Sunrisers lost both the matches - to Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab - in the same year.
Crucial stats:
- SRH will dearly miss Bhuvneshwar Kumar who has an impressive average of 15.72 against Mumbai Indians at an economy rate of 6.02 with 18 wickets. In his absence, owing to the injury, SRH will be handicapped with their two struggling pacers - Sandeep Sharma (ER 9.00 and no wickets) and Khaleel Ahmed (@52.50 and two wickets). Rashid Khan will however remain key for SRH - 4 wickets in four matches at an ER of 5.12.
- Rohit Sharma struggles immensely against SRH, averaging a meagre 19.72 in 14 matches. SRH also have two leggies - Rashid (18 runs, 14 balls, 1 wicket) and Abdul Samad. Since 2017 IPL, he has been dismissed nine times by leggies at an average of 16.2.
- Leg spin has also affected Pollard and Hardik, the two who milked 89 runs in the slog overs in the previous game. Pollard has been dismissed seven times since IPL 2017 while averaging 32.1. Hardik, on the other hand, has his least strike rate (122.3) against this variety in the last three seasons while being dismissed four times.
- In the first two matches that were played at Sharjah, the scores for either sides went beyond 200, including Rajasthan Royals pulled off a record chase of 224. The scoring rate at the venue is 10.88 with sixes being struck every 7.8 balls.
