Context

Think Hyderabad and a lot of beautiful things come to mind: palaces, pearls, Hussain Sagar and, of course, biryani! Maybe it’s time to refresh your memory. Circa May 21, 2017. It was at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium that we won our third Vivo IPL title with a thrilling one-run win over Rising Pune Supergiant. The boys are back in Hyderabad for the second game of the season. It’s time to put aside the disappointment of last Saturday’s loss to Chennai Super Kings. It’s a new game, after all. Sunrisers Hyderabad got their campaign off to an emphatic start with a nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals. Each of the five bowlers used by skipper Kane Williamson — Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Billy Stanlake, Siddarth Kaul, Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan — was among the wickets. The Royals could manage only 125/9 and the hosts won with more than four overs to spare. Shikhar Dhawan walked away with the Man of the Match award for his 57-ball 78.

In The Spotlight

Mumbai Indians

Prior to the start of the opener against CSK, Mayank Markande had 2,500 followers on Instagram. He has nearly 30,000 now. That’s what dismissing MS Dhoni in your debut IPL game can do to your fortunes. The 20-year-old, who wowed the cricketing world with a three-wicket haul last Saturday, will be yearning to do well again. Bring out the googly, we say!

Evin Lewis got out for a duck against CSK. He must be itching to make amends. Now is the time.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Manish Pandey did not get a chance to bat against Rajasthan Royals. Expected to bat at No. 4, Pandey will be keen on making an impression early in the tournament. And what better occasion than a game against the defending champions!

Rashid Khan is in some form. After playing his part in helping Afghanistan qualify for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, Khan is determined to turn heads in the Vivo IPL. The leg-spinner possesses a big heart and will be hoping to challenge MI’s batting might.

Key Clashes

Rohit Sharma vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

This duel could be mouthwatering. On one side is a batsman rated among the best in the world. And, on the other, is an unassuming guy who has quietly established himself as the country’s No. 1 fast bowler across formats. Will Rohit try and see off Bhuvi’s opening spell? Or, will he assert his authority and go after him? Only time will tell.

Mustafizur Rahman vs Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh’s newest superstar is going to be up against arguably the greatest cricketer produced by the country. While Mustafizur will try and dismiss the senior pro as quickly as possible, Shakib will hope to show the world how to tackle the young man’s cutters and yorkers.

“One win or one loss does not define any team, we have to play consistently throughout the tournament and that is what we are aiming at.”

• Rohit Sharma, Captain, MI

Number Game

Head to Head

5-5

Form Guide

MI: LWWLW
SRH: WLWWL

Last 5 Matches

In the last season, both teams enjoyed victories at their respective homes. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad managed to win both the games in the season of 2016. Of the last five encounters, MI have won two while SRH have won thrice.