New Delhi: Rohit Sharma’s wonderful half-century helped the Mumbai Indians chase down Sunrisers Hyderabad’s target of 144, and the Hardik Pandya-led side beat SRH by 7 wickets at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday. Trent Boult’s stunning bowling performance restricted the SRH batter by taking 4 wickets.
Mumbai Indians registered their fourth consecutive victory, climbing from sixth to third place on the points table. This dominant win came after Sunrisers Hyderabad managed only 143/8, a total that proved insufficient on a batting-friendly surface. Rohit Sharma took full advantage, scoring a fluent 70 from 46 balls, including eight boundaries and three sixes.
MI chased down the target with ease, reaching 146/3 in just 15.4 overs, wrapping up the match with 26 balls still remaining. Suryakumar Yadav added the finishing touches with an unbeaten 40 off only 19 balls, laced with five fours and two maximums.
The game was virtually decided early on, as SRH slumped to 35/5 after a shocking top-order collapse. Although Heinrich Klaasen (71) and Abhinav Manohar (43) steadied the innings with a valuable partnership, the total wasn’t enough to put pressure on Mumbai’s strong batting lineup.
The five-time champions secured their third win in a row while chasing, having dominated Chennai Super Kings with a convincing nine-wicket triumph last Sunday. This also marked their second triumph over Sunrisers Hyderabad this season, following a four-wicket win against them in Mumbai the previous week.
India’s red-ball and 50-over skipper, Rohit Sharma, made his intent clear early on by dispatching a slower delivery from Pat Cummins over deep square leg for a maximum, then following it up with a boundary in the third over.
With the pitch offering consistent bounce and little assistance to bowlers, Rohit quickly assessed the conditions after entering the field as an impact substitute in the latter stages of the first innings. In the fourth over, when Jaydev Unadkat tried to take pace off the ball, Rohit read it perfectly and launched it over the cover region for another six, underlining his control and timing.
After going through a spell where he looked solid but couldn’t convert it into big scores, Rohit mixed caution with aggression perfectly to deliver another impressive innings, leaving SRH with no way back. Earlier in the game, Klaasen’s composed 71 and Manohar’s 43 helped SRH recover from a very poor beginning, taking them to a total of 143/8.
Klaasen hit nine boundaries and two sixes in his 44-ball knock, building a strong 99-run partnership for the sixth wicket with substitute Abhinav Manohar, who supported him well with a patient 43 off 37 balls, which included two fours and three sixes. But it was a harrowing start for SRH who are placed second-last on the points table and face an uphill battle to keep themselves alive.
The lack of confidence was evident when SRH’s top-order crumbled without any apparent pressure from the bowlers. Instead of putting pressure on the MI bowlers, SRH presented a meek batting show, which was compounded by a reckless decision from Ishan Kishan (1) who walked back despite not having edged one behind the stumps.
