Today's IPL Encounter: SRH vs MI; who will triumph in the Hyderabad versus Mumbai clash? Fantasy picks, pitch analysis, and more

Today's IPL Encounter: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) are gearing up for their second bout in IPL 2024, scheduled for March 27 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. Both SRH and MI are eager to secure their first points in the tournament following defeats in their opening matches, with the outcome decided in the final over.

SRH faced defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 23, as Harshit Rana from KKR successfully defended 12 runs in the final over. Despite a valiant effort from Shahbaz Ahmed and Heinrich Klaasen with the bat, Rana's crucial dismissals secured a narrow 4-run victory for KKR.

MI, led by Hardik Pandya, suffered a loss to Gujarat Titans (GT)—the team he formerly captained—in their opening fixture. Pandya confronted Umesh Yadav in the final over, with Mumbai requiring 19 runs for victory. Although Pandya managed to garner 10 runs off the first two deliveries, his aggressive approach led to two quick wickets, including his own, resulting in a 6-run loss for Mumbai.

Head-to-head Records: SRH vs MI Hyderabad and Mumbai have clashed in 21 IPL encounters to date. SRH emerged victorious in 9 of those matches, while Mumbai claimed victory in 12. SRH's highest total against MI stands at 200, whereas MI's highest score against Hyderabad is 235.

In their last five IPL encounters, Mumbai has emerged triumphant in four matches. SRH's last victory against Mumbai occurred in IPL 2022.

Fantasy Picks: SRH vs MI Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma (C), Tim David, Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, Washington Sundar.

Pitch Analysis: SRH vs MI Bowlers have frequently criticised the flat nature of Hyderabad's pitches, posing challenges for bowling. However, it's worth noting that in IPL 2019, leg-spinner Alzarri Joseph from Mumbai clinched figures of 6/12 on this ground, marking the best performance in any IPL match to date.

Conversely, batsmen have thrived on these surfaces. In IPL 2017, David Warner scored 127 at this venue, while Jonny Bairstow also contributed with a century. SRH holds the record for the highest team total at this ground, scoring 231/2 in IPL 2019. Interestingly, the highest chase remains at 160 runs.

Weather Conditions: SRH vs MI The weather forecast for Hyderabad suggests temperatures around 31 degrees Celsius at the beginning of the match, gradually dropping to 29 degrees later. There's no precipitation expected, with humidity levels staying below 46%.

Match Prediction: SRH vs MI According to Google's win probability, the visitors are favoured with a 55% chance of triumphing over Hyderabad in their second encounter and securing their first points in the tournament.