Hardik Pandya To Drop Ishan Kishan? MI's Probable XI For IPL 2024 Game vs SRH

MI lost to GT in their opening match [AP]MI lost to GT in their opening match [AP]

On Wednesday, five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians will lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad in match eight of the ongoing Indian Premier League season. The high-octane clash will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. 

Regarding Mumbai Indians, the Hardik Pandya-led side had a dismal start to the season, losing their opening encounter against Gujarat Titans by six runs. 

Bowling first, MI restricted the Titans to a 168-run total. However, their batting unit crumbled during the chase, leading them to a narrow defeat against the 2022 edition champions. 

Although ex-captain Rohit Sharma was a prolific contributor for Mumbai, scoring 43 runs, his opening partner Ishan Kishan endured a failure, being dismissed for a four-ball duck. 

Once hailed for his scintillating stroke play, Ishan has had a rough time on the professional circuit recently. 

After opting out of India's Test assignments, the swashbuckling southpaw saw his national contract terminated when the BCCI announced the list of contracted players. 

Given Ishan's lack of match practice, some fans expect skipper Hardik Pandya to drop the opener from MI's playing XI for the SRH game. 

However, considering it's just their second match of the season, MI will likely persist with Ishan for a few more games, as he has performed for the franchise in the past. 

Among others, Naman Dhir might continue to bat at three in Suryakumar Yadav's absence, with Tilak Varma, Dewald Brevis, Hardik Pandya and Tim David following him. If Nuwan Thushara is available, he might replace Luke Wood. 


MI's probable team vs SRH (including impact player)

Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Dewald Brevis, Hardik Pandya (C),  Tim David, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Shams Mulani, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara/Luke Wood

Other impact player substitutes: Vishnu Vinod, Romario Shepherd, Nehal Wadhera, Mohammad Nabi