IPL 2019, SRH vs MI: Key battles to watch out for

Two powerhouses, two former champions, two teams in rampaging form go head to head in what promises to be a nail-biter. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians are coming in after wreaking havoc against Delhi and Chennai respectively, and the SRH vs MI match tomorrow promises to be a cracker.

Having won 3 matches out of 4, the Sunrisers barely broke a sweat while handing Delhi Capitals their second consecutive defeat. On the other hand, an onslaught by Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard meant the Chennai Super Kings crashed to their first defeat of the tournament against MI.

SRH and MI are two of the most balanced sides in the tournament, and both of them would be eager to take the field in the battle of equals.

Let's have a quick look at the most intriguing player battles that the fans would be looking forward to in the match:

#1 David Warner vs Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah (picture courtesy: BCCI/iplt20.com)

This rivalry goes back to Jasprit Bumrah's T20I debut, when the speedster sent David Warner packing to claim his first T20I wicket. Coming in after a one-year ban, Warner has picked up from where he had left, scoring 264 runs in 4 matches to grab the Orange Cap.

Regarded as the world's best fast bowler, Bumrah hasn't really found his consistency yet. However, the death overs specialist showed his class against RCB, choking them for runs to give Mumbai Indians their first win of the tournament.

Given the form Warner is in, Rohit Sharma would definitely be tempted to give Bumrah an over or two in the powerplay to expose the middle order of the Hyderabad-based franchise.

#2 Hardik Pandya vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (L) and Hardik Pandya

Two players who know each other inside-out, having won several matches for their national side, will go head-to-head against each other in this match.

Hardik Pandya is Mumbai's first choice finisher and Bhuvneshwar Kumar is Hyderabad's death overs specialist. They are expected to lock horns late in the innings, and the battle for supremacy between the two could well decide the outcome of the match.

Pandya has come into his own lately, scoring 32* (14), 31 (19) and 25* (8) in his last three outings to give MI the perfect finishes. Meanwhile Bhuvneshwar, who has been economical upfront, has gone for runs in the death overs; he conceded 21 off Andre Russell in the 19th over against KKR which resulted in Hyderabad's only defeat in the tournament so far.

Having played alongside Pandya, the SRH skipper would definitely be looking to use the tricks up his sleeve to outsmart the Mumbai dasher.