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Powerplay problem
Despite defending such a massive total, MI failed to build early pressure as pacers Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah leaked runs. Thanks to SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma’s onslaught, the visitors raced to 92-0 in six overs at a run-rate above 15. It was the joint-highest Powerplay score by any team against MI, matching Delhi Capitals’s effort in 2024.
Lucky Head
Opener Head was lucky to survive a caught-behind incident in the third over from Boult while he was on eight. He nicked one outside off to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton, but surprisingly neither Boult nor the wicketkeeper appealed. UltraEdge later showed a clear spike.
Ineffective Bumrah
Whenever Bumrah’s in the opposition, batters tend to target the other 16 overs, while looking to survive the four bowled by India’s premier pacer. However, this season, Bumrah has gone for loads of runs, without picking many wickets either. Against SRH too, he looked helpless, finishing with 0-54 off four overs — his most expensive spell of the season. Bumrah conceded five sixes, including a no-look shot from an uncapped Salil Arora off his final over.
Fielding flaws
There’s no excuse for poor fielding at this level even if you have a huge target to defend and skipper Hardik was understandably frustrated while discussing the multiple dropped catches and misfields at the post-match presentation. SRH top-scorer Head (30-ball 76) was the prime beneficiary as Naman Dhir misjudged a boundary catch (when Head was on two), turning it into a six, and later dropped him again (when the Aussie was on 30) inside the circle.
Impact-less Thakur
MI waited until the seventh over to introduce pacer Shardul Thakur as the Impact Sub, replacing Robin Minz. However, they didn’t use him despite the other bowlers being smashed all over the ground. The decision was questionable considering Thakur, who has picked six wickets in five innings, including a 3-39 against KKR, probably became the first Impact Player to neither bat nor bowl.
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