Today at IPL 2022, MI vs SRH: Kane Williamson’s army faces Mumbai in a do or die battle for playoffs spot
India Today
SunRisers Hyderabad have to beat Mumbai by a huge margin if they wish to remain in the hunt for the playoffs. The mid-table teams will however hope that MI can beat SRH so that the mid-table scramble can have one less competition.
The time of reckoning has come for SunRisers Hyderabad, where they just cannot let things slip any further. After a high of five wins in a row, the Kane Williamson-led team has plummeted to five straight losses in the Indian Premier League. The team which had 10 points from the first seven games and occupied the top of the table has managed to make their playoffs chances very slim with their terrible showing with the bat.
The prime reason behind their rollercoaster showing in the IPL 2022 is captain Kane Williamson’s form. With just 208 runs from 12 matches, at a strike rate of 92.85, Williamson has not only done massive damage to his own reputation, but has also affected SRH’s tempo with the bat.
Coming into the game against Mumbai Indians, the Hyderabad-based franchise will hope that they change their style of playing the game and get rid of the conservative approach that has been employed by Williamson in the powerplay overs. With the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran present in the line-up, SRH might also hope to rejig the batting a little bit and play Williamson at number three or four where he can exploit the gaps in the field.
The results of this match will have further impact in the league table. Franchises like Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings will hope that Mumbai Indians come out victorious today so that it puts less pressure in the middle of the table. If SRH win, three of these teams will be tied at 12 points from 13 matches, which will end up bringing the net run rate into question for the playoffs qualification.
Having said that Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants are best placed to take up the final two positions in the playoffs, but Lucknow’s current form leaves them vulnerable.
SRHL, L, L, L
MIW, L, W, W
