3 player battles to watch out for in SRH vs MI, Match 25 of IPL 2023

IPL 2023 returns to Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Tuesday, April 18, for a clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI). It is the first meeting between the two teams in the tournament this year.

SRH and MI are currently in the lower half of the points table. MI hold the eighth position in the standings with two wins from four matches. While SRH have also recorded two wins and two losses in four games, their net run rate is inferior to MI, which sees them occupy one spot below Mumbai in the table.

With the winner of this match having a chance to enter the top five, both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians will be keen to register a win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Hyderabad and Mumbai met once in IPL 2022, where the Orange Army recorded a three-run win in a close game. Fans should expect another cracker of a contest between the two former IPL champion teams.

On that note, here's a look at the three player battles that may decide the result of this match.

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#1 Umran Malik vs. Rohit Sharma

Umran Malik was the pick of the bowlers for Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last match vs Mumbai Indians (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Umran Malik played a massive role in Sunrisers Hyderabad's previous win against the Mumbai Indians. The Jammu Express picked up three wickets for the Orange Army, returning with figures of 3/23 in four overs.

Malik dismissed Ishan Kishan, Daniel Sams and Tilak Varma in that game. He managed to keep a check on the run-flow as well, though the fast bowler could not dismiss the Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma.

Sharma was the top-scorer for MI in that game with a 36-ball 48 and Malik will be keen to dismiss him early in the innings this time around.

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#2 Piyush Chawla vs. Rahul Tripathi

Rahul Tripathi hit 9 fours in the last match against Mumbai Indians (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Rahul Tripathi won the Man of the Match award in the previous clash between the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Mumbai Indians. The right-handed batter scored 76 runs off 44 balls, smacking nine fours and three sixes for the Orange Army. SRH fans will expect another top-quality knock from Tripathi in IPL 2023.

Mumbai Indians will hope that their experienced leg-spinner Piyush Chawla gets rid of Tripathi early. Chawla has made a fantastic return in IPL 2023 and it will be exciting to see how he performs against Tripathi.

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#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs. Ishan Kishan

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has a habit of taking early wickets in IPL 2023 (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Ishan Kishan looked good in his last IPL 2023 match against the Kolkata Knight Riders, but he will have to tackle Bhuvneshwar Kumar's swing well to score big against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The SRH bowler can swing the new ball in the powerplay overs.

Kishan scored 43 runs off 34 balls against SRH last year. He hit five fours and a six but none came off Kumar's bowling. All eyes will be on the battle between Kumar and Kishan when the teams take to the field in Hyderabad.