The first of the final two league matches of the IPL 2021 on October 8, 2021, will see Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) taking on Mumbai Indian (MI) in a crunch encounter in Abu Dhabi. This is a must-win match for MI with caveats if they want to qualify for the playoffs.
As Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) the previous night, they have virtually qualified for the playoffs thanks to a superior net run rate.
For MI to now qualify for the final four, they need to win the toss and bat first and win the match by 171 runs if they put up a score of 200. However, if SRH bats first and MI chases, there is no permutation in which MI can qualify.
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Keeping this in mind, here is the COC Predicted Playing XIs for the SRH v MI match in Abu Dhabi.
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
Sunrisers Hyderabad has recorded two wins in the UAE leg of the tournament and now has 6 points from 13 matches. The Kane Williamson-led side will face off against defending champions MI in Abu Dhabi and this will be a chance for SRH to show off their new confidence.
While Jason Roy has added a new dimension to their batting which was earlier shouldered by Kane Williamson and Jason Holder to a limit; the biggest plus for the Orange Army has been the Jammu fast bowler Umran Malik who is making the speed gun do some serious overtime.
Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have carried the SRH bowling with aid of Siddharth Kaul, but Malik bowling over 150 kph has been a sight for sore eyes. The SRH team just needs to win this match or keep MI from winning it from a humongous margin.
MUMBAI INDIANS
MI would have liked KKR to lose their match against RR the last night, but now this has resulted in them being in an improbable situation of winning by 171 runs after scoring 200 while batting first if they wish to qualify for the playoffs.
For MI, Saurabh Tiwary’s consistency has been a huge surprise in the middle order, while Ishan Kishan’s return to form against RR was most welcomed. Suryakumar Yadav, however, needs a good outing for his confidence going into the T20 World Cup for India.
Hardik Pandya has not bowled thus far which has seriously imbalanced the MI team, while James Neesham was a welcome addition to the team, bowling the 5th bowler quota along with Kieron Pollard.
With not many left-handers in the SRH lineup, Rahul Chahar might get in the XI in place of Jayant Yadav for this match.
SRH COC Predicted Playing XI:
Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Kane Williamson (C), Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul, Umran Malik
MI COC Predicted Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult
