Published: April 30, 2026 at 9:28 pm
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) continued their dominant run in the TATA IPL 2026, registering their fifth consecutive win with a clinical chase against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday night.
Opener Travis Head led the run chase with a sparkling knock. The Australian who has not been in great form thus far in the IPL 2026, choose to come back with a bang against five-time champions Mumbai Indians.
Head and Klaasen chase down stiff Mumbai target as Sunrisers’ notch up fifth straight win
Former India spinner Piyush Chawla said Head looks a different bat when he plays against Mumbai and India. “Sometimes you need a bit of luck when you’re not among the runs, and that’s exactly what happened with him. There was a faint edge that didn’t result in an appeal. Moments like these can change an innings. I’ve noticed that whenever he plays against India or against Mumbai Indians, he seems to bat with a different level of confidence,” Chawla said on Star Sports Amul Cricket Live.
SRH capable of chasing down big totals
On Sunrisers Hyderabad’s run chase, Chawla said: “You have to give full credit to the batters. We know that teams like Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad are capable of chasing such totals, and they showed that again. They came out with clear intent in the Powerplay and, importantly, didn’t lose a wicket. They even put pressure on Jasprit Bumrah early, taking nearly 30 runs off his first two overs. After that, the rest of the batters contributed well. At no stage did the required rate get out of control. In fact, it stayed below the asking rate for most of the innings. That was the real beauty of this chase.”
Heinrich Klaasen and Salil Arora finished the job against Mumbai Indians. Pics: BCCI
Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar analysed Salil Arora’s impact on the game. “He stays still, understands the plan, and watches the ball very closely. When he looks to attack, he commits fully to his shots. To execute those shots in a brief 7–8 ball innings is a special skill. It reflects the way players train today, preparing to make an impact in very few deliveries. That’s a standout quality in his batting,” he said.
MI’s bowling is a bit of concern
On Mumbai Indians’ overall performance, Bangar said: “There are positives in the batting, especially with the energy at the top from players like Ryan Rickelton. Even if Rohit Sharma returns, the batting combination looks flexible. However, they still need contributions from Suryakumar Yadav, who hasn’t fired consistently. With Tilak Varma in good form, the batting is not a major concern. The bigger issue is bowling. Mumbai Indians’ success has always been built on strong bowling units. They showed signs of swing, which is a positive, but they need more support in that department to get back into the tournament.”
