Clinical MI secure back-to-back wins

Mumbai Indians came up with a clinical performance with both bat and ball to secure back-to-back wins in IPL 2025 as Sunrisers Hyderabad were subjected to another loss. The runners-up from 2024 found the going tough on a Wankhede surface where stroke-making wasn't the easiest and as a result, their wait for a first away win continued.

Where was the game won?

In the middle overs. With the surface aiding deliveries that lacked pace, MI did really well with the ball in the middle overs to ensure SRH scored at just above six. On the other hand, the home side went on a boundary-hitting spree in the same phase, outplaying their opponents.

The middle-overs difference

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD

Powerplay - MI keep 'Travishek' quiet

Phase score: 46/0 [RR: 7.67, 4s/6s: 7/0]

Keeping Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma to just 46 runs in the powerplay is a huge deal. In fact, this was SRH's lowest powerplay score since 2024 when they have not lost a wicket. Speaking of wickets, MI should have gotten rid of both these batters very early. Abhishek came down the track the very first ball and edged one behind but Will Jacks shelled the chance. Three balls later, Deepak Chahar was left frustrated again as Karn Sharma couldn't grab a chance at midwicket that would have seen Head depart. The openers rode their luck as Abhishek too mistimed to Karn with the ball landing just short and hurting the legspinner in the process. The youngster managed to then redeem himself with a few boundaries but in terms of the scoring, the home side pulled off an excellent job.

Middle overs - Lack of pace results in lack of runs

Phase score: 59/3 [RR: 6.55, 4s/6s: 5/0]

MI reaped the rewards finally after the powerplay. Hardik Pandya, who gave his side a scare by going down with a possible injury while bowling, pulled himself back to strike in the same over as Abhishek fell for 40. At the other end, Jacks found some purchase with his offspin and had Ishan Kishan stumped for just 2. For a brief moment, Hardik thought he had Head dismissed as well when the Australian hit him straight to the fielder at deep midwicket but the MI skipper had overstepped. Head couldn't capitalise on that reprieve though as Jacks induced a false shot on a surface that was aiding the slower bowlers to have the opener caught near long off. Even Heinrich Klaasen found the going hard as the MI bowlers made full use of the sticky nature of the pitch to deny SRH any momentum whatsoever.

Death overs - SRH manage to breach 160

Phase score: 57/2 [RR: 11.4, 4s/6s: 2/5]

The pattern continued at the death as well. Both Klaasen and Nitish Reddy just couldn't find the boundary and eventually, something had to give. Nitish, in an attempt to clear the ropes, chipped one straight to long on to give Boult his first wicket. The release finally came in the 18th over as Klaasen took on Chahar for 21 runs to not only boost his strike rate but also give SRH a much-needed fillip to their innings. However, when Bumrah returned for the penultimate over, the show was over as he bowled a low full toss at pace to uproot Klaasen's offstump. SRH still found the ideal finish despite Bumrah's excellent over as Aniket Verma and Pat Cummins combined to clear the ropes thrice in the final over bowled by Hardik to drag their side past 160.

MUMBAI INDIANS

Powerplay - Rohit tees off....finally

Phase score: 55/1 [RR: 9.16, 4s/6s: 4/3]

It has taken a while but Rohit Sharma finally looked in the mood for his first big score of IPL 2025. SRH made a decent start by conceding just seven runs from the first two overs. However, a streaky six got Rohit going as he followed it up with a delightful pull shot. In the next over, Rohit took on Cummins for another massive six to race to 25 off just 13 balls. But in an anti-climatic moment, Rohit then creamed one straight to cover to depart. The run rate was then given another boost, this time by Ryan Rickelton as the South African fetched a hat-trick of boundaries against Eshan Malinga to ensure MI finished the powerplay on a strong note.

Middle overs - MI take command

Phase score: 82/3 [RR: 9.11, 4s/6s: 8/4]

Zeeshan Ansari almost had his man when Rickelton succumbed to the pressure, to find the fielder but the third umpire gave him a new lease of life after spotting Klaasen having his gloves in front of the stumps when the batter hit the ball. The left-hander almost made them pay with back-to-back boundaries off Harshal Patel but the bowler had the last laugh with a slower delivery. From thereon though, it was all MI as Jacks and Suryakumar Yadav went on a boundary hitting spree to put the hosts on top. The duo hit Ansari for a four and a six and Jacks then welcomed Rahul Chahar to the crease with a six. Ansari was in for a rough night as he conceded two more sixes as MI went on a rampage. Cummins had to bring himself back into the attack to finally end the threatening partnership. The skipper then brought some spark into the clash by claiming another well-set batter as Jacks slapped one straight to mid off.

Death overs - A facile win

Phase score: 29/2 [RR: 9.14, 4s/6s: 3/1 ]

That little spark provided by Cummins was quickly wiped out by Hardik Pandya. The MI captain came out all guns blazing, fetching two boundaries off the first three balls he faced and then targeted Harshal for a six and a four as well in his bid to quickly finish the chase off. Needing 1 more run, Hardik departed in his attempt to go for the glory shot and Malinga added more to his wicket tally with a perfect yorker to trap Naman Dhir leg-before-wicket. The drama finally came to an end when Tilak Varma pulled out a reverse sweep off the first ball in the penultimate over.

Brief scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 162/5 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 40, Heinrich Klaasen 37; Will Jacks 2/14) lost to Mumbai Indians 166/6 in 18.1 overs (Will Jacks 36, Ryan Rickelton 31; Pat Cummins 3/26, Eshan Malinga 2/36) by 4 wickets

What's next for the teams?

With a campaign that appears to be revitalised with these two wins on the trot, MI will look to make it three in three as they take on their arch-rivals CSK on Sunday in a blockbuster clash. SRH on the other hand will hope for a belter of a surface to welcome MI in the return clash after a six-day break.