MI vs SRH, IPL 2021 prediction today: Who will win Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad match?

Match 55 of the IPL 2021 edition will see the defending champions and five-time winners Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI) face the bottom-lying Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Friday afternoon (October 8).

MI are coming into this game with a heavy task; to beat SRH by a huge margin --  by 170 runs or more -- in order to leapfrog Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and attain the fourth spot in the playoffs. For the unversed, KKR are overwhelming favourites for the remaining spot and are sitting pretty at the fourth position currently following a massive 86-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Thursday evening. KKR also have the net run-rate in their favour, hence, MI will have to beat SRH by a humongous and almost near-impossible margin to qualify further. They cannot advance further if SRH bat first.

SRH, on the other hand, are coming into this game on the back of a spirited 4-run win over the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Sharjah. Having a disastrous campaign in IPL 14, SRH will be desperate to sign off on a high with another win under their belt. Jason Roy, Jason Holder, Williamson, Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will continue to be their best bets versus MI, with eyes on speedster Umran Malik as well.

ALSO READ | IPL 2021: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals by 86 runs, take giant step towards playoffs

Match prediction for SRH vs MI clash: The batting hasn't been easy in any of the surfaces in the UAE leg. The same is expected in match 55 and a modest score will be challenging for the chasing team. Given that SRH have nothing to lose, they will look to bat first and get to a moderate score and defend it, like they did versus RCB. Meanwhile, MI will be down and out given the mammoth scenario in front of them and will be tested versus a nothing-to-lose Hyderabad line-up. SRH to sign off on a high?