Mumbai Indians continued their upward trajectory in the Indian Premier League with a clinical four-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. The contest, largely one-sided, saw the hosts outclass their visitors both tactically and technically on a pitch offering grip and turn.
Will Jacks emerged as the architect of the win, contributing with both bat and ball. The Englishman returned figures of 3-0-14-2 before crafting a vital 36 off 26 deliveries, striking three boundaries and an equal number of sixes.
Mumbai’s bowlers, adeptly reading the conditions, made full use of slower deliveries and short balls, keeping SRH in check during the first innings. Jasprit Bumrah (4-0-21-1) and Trent Boult (4-0-29-1) delivered accurate spells, while Jacks’s own tidy three overs built significant pressure. Captain Hardik Pandya, too, played his part with the ball and later contributed a swift cameo of 21 from just nine balls.
Chasing 163 for victory, MI got off to a brisk start. Rohit Sharma once again showed promise with a 16-ball 26, inclusive of three sixes, giving his side the early momentum. Opener Ryan Rickelton chipped in with a fluent 31, while Suryakumar Yadav’s 15-ball 26 featured two sixes and two boundaries.
Although a minor wobble occurred towards the end, Tilak Varma (21 not out) ensured MI reached the target comfortably, finishing on 166 for six in 18.1 overs.
Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad managed 162 for five, recovering late after struggling to build momentum for much of the innings. Their top order, particularly Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, found it difficult to break free against Mumbai’s disciplined attack.
Abhishek made 40 from 28 deliveries, striking seven boundaries, but lacked support in sustaining the momentum. Travis Head laboured to 28 off 29 balls, his struggle epitomising SRH’s woes.
The innings’ only real flourish came in the final overs, with 57 runs coming off the last five. Heinrich Klaasen hit 37 off 28 balls with two sixes and three fours, while Aniket Verma and Pat Cummins collected 22 off Pandya’s final over, including three sixes.
Fielding errors also marked the match’s beginning. Deepak Chahar's first over saw Abhishek and Head dropped in the field — Will Jacks missing a sharp chance and Karn Sharma failing to grab a low one.
Nevertheless, Mumbai’s bowling unit quickly regained control. Raj Angad Bawa took a sharp catch to dismiss Abhishek off Pandya, while Jacks outwitted Ishan Kishan, having the former MI batter stumped for just two.
Head, reprieved once when Pandya overstepped, never looked fluent and was eventually dismissed without doing significant damage. The first six of the innings came as late as the 18th over when Klaasen took 21 runs off Chahar’s last over.
Sunrisers might rue their decision not to introduce spin early in MI’s chase, particularly given the pitch’s evident turn.
With this result, Mumbai Indians notched up their third win of the season and second on the trot, signalling a return to form after a stuttering start. For Sunrisers Hyderabad, the road ahead looks increasingly uphill unless they manage to address their middle-order inconsistency and tactical execution.
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