Hyderabad: Both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians will be keen on smearing colours of victory post-Holi celebrations by kickstarting their IPL campaign by registering their first win of IPL 2024 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Wednesday after having lost their openers in thrilling encounters.
Mumbai Indians, led by Hardik Pandya, suffered a setback in their opening game against Gujarat Titans despite impressive performances from Dewald Brevis and Sai Sudharsan.
Known for their slow starts, Mumbai will rely on the experience of players like Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma to turn their fortunes around.
On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad, under the leadership of Pat Cummins, will be looking to bounce back from their narrow loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening fixture.
Despite falling short by just four runs in the chase of 209, they showed resilience and potential, especially with notable performances from Harshit Rana and Henrich Klassen.
With a history of struggles, including five consecutive losses since 2023 and a disappointing performance in the last season, Sunrisers have made significant changes, including appointing Daniel Vettori as head coach. The combination of Vettori's expertise and Cummins' captaincy aims to rejuvenate the team's fortunes.
The pitch at the Uppal stadium is traditionally batting-friendly, offering some assistance to spinners as the game progresses. However, there may be opportunities for fast bowlers, particularly Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is familiar with the conditions. The battle between Bhuvneshwar and Rohit Sharma, who has shown vulnerability against inswinging deliveries, promises to be a highlight of the match.