30 April,2014 08:40 AM IST | | PTI
Languishing at the bottom of the table, defending champions are desperate to end winless streak in their final match of the first leg of IPL when they lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad
Zaheer Khan (centre) celebrates with teammates a RCB wicket in Dubai recently. PTI Photo/BCCI.
Dubai: Languishing at the bottom of the table, defending champions Mumbai Indians will be desperate to end their winless streak in their final match of the first leg of IPL in the UAE when they lock horns with another struggling outfit, Sunrisers Hyderabad today.
Zaheer Khan (centre) celebrates with teammates a RCB wicket in Dubai recently. PTI Photo/BCCI.
This is Mumbai Indians' last chance to redeem themselves in the seventh edition of the cash-rich event before the action shifts to India. Placed last in the eight-team league after losing all four of their matches so far, the title holders will not get a better chance of opening their account than taking on a lowly Sunrisers, who are just a shade better with only a win and three losses.
Mumbai batting has come a cropper till now. Despite some big names in their ranks, they have managed just a few fine knocks among them. The likes of skipper Rohit Sharma, Mike Hussey, Corey Anderson and Kieron Pollard have failed to fire in unison. Ambati Rayadu has shown glimpses of his talent, but none were match-winning efforts.
As far as the bowling is concerned, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh - will need to bring in all their experience to effect a turnaround.
Sunrisers Hyderabad have seen just two batsmen, Aaron Finch and David Warner, making a mark so far in the tournament. While the team will bank heavily on Finch and Warner yet again, it is high time that skipper and opener Shikhar Dhawan demonstrate his batting prowess. Bowling spearhead Dale Steyn and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been pretty consistent, while leg-spinners Amit Mishra and Karn Sharma have also been decent.
MI signs Simmons
Meanwhile, West Indies batsman Lendl Simmons has been included in the Mumbai squad in place of Jalaj Saxena, the IPL technical committee announced yesterday. While no reason was given for the change, the move will definitely boost the morale of Mumbai, who are lying at the bottom of the points table.
IPL on TV: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Live on Sony Max, Sony Six & Sony Six HD, 20:00
