Indian Premier League on Sky Sports Cricket - today's action
Tuesday 24 April 2018 15:28, UK
Here's what's in store in the Indian Premier League today...
Today's game
Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad look to turn their recent poor form around as they meet at the Wankhede Stadium. Watch all the action from 3pm on Sky Sports Cricket (channel 404) and Main Event (channel 401).
Live Indian Premier League
How have the teams done so far?
Mumbai have been the unluckiest of teams in the tournament so far, suffering four final-over defeats in and around one convincing win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, while Sunrisers have followed up a stunning start which saw them victorious in each of their opening three games with two defeats on the trot.
Mumbai's latest heart-breaker was a three-wicket reverse to the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. The Indians first failed to capitalise on a terrific 15-over platform with the bat, sinking from 135-2 to 167-7 as Jofra Archer (3-22) tore through their middle-order. Then, with the ball, having got rid of danger men Ben Stokes (40), Jos Buttler (6) and Sanju Samson (52) in quick succession, and only needing to defend 43 from the final three overs against the tailend, Krishnappa Gowtham came in and cracked 33 off 11 to see Mumbai again slip to defeat.
Having topped the table with three wins from three, Sunrisers have since lost to a Chris Gayle-inspired Kings XI Punjab - the West Indian powerhouse smashing a sixth IPL ton, off 58 balls - and then to the Chennai Super Kings, with an agonising four-run defeat on Sunday.
Captain Kane Williamson has hit fifties in both defeats, continuing his fine start the tournament. But, the usually oh-so-reliable Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan's form has certainly dipped in the successive defeats, taking only two wickets for the cost of 104 runs.
Ones to watch
Despite their early-season struggles, many of the Mumbai contingent have shown flashes of match-winning potential, including the classy Suryakumar Yadav - tonking two fifties since being moved up to open - and Ishan Kishan, who shared in a century stand with Yadav on his way to his own half century in the latest defeat to Rajasthan.
On the bowling front too, 20-year-old legspinner Mayank Markande is joint-leading wicket-taker in the IPL, with eight in five games, while Jasprit Bumrah continues to terrorise opposition batsmen - seven wickets at 21.71. On the Sunrisers front, it's his Indian teammate Bhuvneshwar Kumar doing the bulk of the damage, with six wickets at 17.16.
Which England players could feature?
Mumbai don't have any England representation within their ranks, but Sunrisers have both Alex Hales and Chris Jordan. Both have been used sparingly so far - Jordan with just the one outing, and Hales yet to get a go - but now could be the time, with Sunrisers coming into this one off the back of two defeats.
Hales, in particular, could provide a spark at the top of the order alongside Williamson if Shikhar Dhawan doesn't return from injury in time - young Indian opener Ricky Bhui made his IPL debut in for Dhawan in the last game and it didn't exactly go well as he fell for a five-ball duck.
Who's in the Sky Cricket studio?
Matt Floyd will host our coverage, joined by Marcus Trescothick and Ryan ten Doeschate, fresh from county duty with Somerset and Essex, respectively.
Sky Sports will continue to show every IPL game live, so fans from all over can enjoy the best of Indian cricket.
