Right then, that is it from this rather one-sided affair where Mumbai Indians made light work of Sunrisers Hyderabad.. Next up in the IPL 2025 is a huge clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. It is also the 18th Anniversary of IPL on 18th April, Friday, which makes it an even more special occasion. The first ball will be bowled at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT), but as you know, you can join us early for all the build-up to the match. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

Will Jacks is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his all-round brilliance. He says that it was a slow start for the team and himself in the tournament, but it feels nice to contribute to the team. Adds that it wasn't a great start for him, dropping that catch on the first ball, but it ended well, so he is happy. Says he got done with the pace and was late to react, but should have taken it. Mentions that it took a little bit of time to adjust to the new franchise, but now everything is getting in place nicely. Says that they have good support staff, and he is trying to learn from most of the people around here. Further adds that he can bat at any position as per the requirement of the team, as long as the communication is clear. Tells that the skipper told him to put pressure with the ball, but you also have to make your own decisions. Ends by saying that, while batting, his plan was to put the pressure on the spinners.

Hardik Pandya, the victorious skipper of Mumbai Indians, says that the way they bowled today was very smart and goes on to give credit to the bowlers who forced the opposition to play better shots. Mentions that it felt like it was going to be a good wicket given the colour of the grass, but once a couple of balls stuck in the first over from Deepak Chahar, they planned accordingly and even in the middle overs, the pacers nailed the yorker. Goes on to applaud Will Jacks for his all-round ability and says that they back him. Ends by saying that when you are nearing a chase with overs to spare, you need to play smartly, and they tried to put the foot on the pedal towards the end and also mentions that they are looking forward to the next game against rivals CSK.

Presentation Time...

Ryan Rickelton of the Mumbai Indians is up for a quick chat. He says that it feels nice to contribute to the team’s win, though there were not too many runs; he scored. Adds that it wasn’t the easiest of the wickets tonight, but they planned very well for this chase. Mentions that it is extremely difficult to adjust to these conditions coming from South Africa, but he feels that it is not completely impossible, and it is all about working on small things to improve his game. States that he has chatted with some key players and the local guys, and he admits that there is still work in progress. Tells that about the no-ball where he survived because of Heinrich Klaasen, and he feels that it is not the greatest of rules there and but it felt great to get a life there, and he liked that he hit a couple more boundaries after that ball. He jokingly says that he would buy a drink for Klaasen. Further says that they wanted to bat second, and it is quite difficult to judge a good score, but SKY and Hardik assessed the conditions well, and full credit to them. Says that the team is nicely shaping up, and they are getting along nicely forward in the tournament, and he hopes to contribute to the team’s win just like this. Admits that they have pretty great minds in the dugout who know how to make strategies and go forward even after losing a couple of games. Concludes it by saying that the environment here in IPL is a bit louder, but he is fully enjoying it, and he hopes to contribute more in the future.

Pat Cummins, the Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper, says that it wasn't the easiest wicket and they were a few runs short. Adds that sometimes you expect the wicket to be fast and fluid, but it was a bit tricky, and the cutters were holding in the pitch. Reckons that they had all bases covered, but with 160 on the board, you are always a bit short. On not using Rahul Chahar much, Cummins says that they had to go for wickets, and hence the pacers bowled more, and Chahar only got one over. Ends by saying that unfortunately, it hasn't gone their way this season, but they have a mini break now and will look to go again. Also mentions that the openers got through the Powerplay pretty decently and is looking forward to the next game at home.

It was another disappointing outing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, though to be fair, they were always short of runs on a testing pitch. Their bowlers gave it everything, but they really needed two or three wickets in the Powerplay to stand a chance. A dropped catch by Ishan Kishan off Ryan Rickelton early on didn’t help matters. To add to their frustration, they thought they had him shortly after, but Klaasen’s gloves were in front of the stumps, turning it into a No-Ball. Those little moments ended up making a big difference. The decision to bring in Rahul Chahar as the Impact Sub and giving him just one over also raised a few eyebrows. Skipper Pat Cummins led from the front with three wickets, while Eshan Malinga chipped in with a couple, but by then, the game had already slipped away.

Earlier in the game, Sunrisers Hyderabad managed to put up a competitive total on a challenging surface. Abhishek Sharma provided a good, steady start, even as his opening partner found it tough to get going. Handy contributions down the order from Heinrich Klaasen and Aniket Verma helped push the total to something their bowlers could work with. Will Jacks was the standout with the ball, picking up a couple of wickets, while the rest of the bowling unit chipped in with a wicket each, except Deepak Chahar and Mitchell Santner.

After a quiet start in the first couple of overs, the MI openers began to find their rhythm, especially Rohit Sharma, who looked in sublime touch. He got off to a brisk start but fell to a full toss just when he seemed set. Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks then took control, steadying the innings and keeping the chase on track. After Rickelton’s departure, it was SKY who injected some momentum into the innings. Jacks chipped in with a valuable 36 before departing, and then it was a few lusty blows from Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma that got them close. However, with the scores tied, MI lost two wickets in five balls, which affected their NRR, and they will hope it does not come back to haunt them.

Back-to-back wins for Mumbai Indians! Normal service resumes at the Wankhede as the Men in Blue get their campaign back on track. This was a complete all-around performance, with Mumbai keeping the dangerous Sunrisers Hyderabad in check right through the game. With just two wins from seven outings now, the visitors’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.

Mitchell Santner walks out to bat now.

Naman Dhir is in next.