Both Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad flattered to deceive in their opening games of IPL 2024. On Wednesday, when they face each other in Hyderabad, both the teams will be eager not to slip up on the crucial moments as they search for their first points.

Mumbai probably will be under a bit more pressure, being the heavyweights and with their first game giving rise to a number of questions, which mainly centred around new captain Hardik Pandya.

Hardik made a successful return from injury, but critics haven’t been too happy with his captaincy. Mumbai were in a favourable position to beat Gujarat Titans in their season opener, but messed it up in the closing stages of their chase. Captain Hardik, known for his big-hitting prowess, came in to bat at No. 7 and many believe that to be one of the main reasons for the team’s loss.

Mumbai Indians' Tim David, in a picture shared on X on Tuesday, at practice. The Australian could not finish the game in his team's first match and will like to make amends on Wednesday. X

Replacing someone of the stature of Rohit Sharma as the captain is never easy as it brings with uneasy comparisons and fuels unfair criticism. For example, Hardik was booed by the crowd during the game in Ahmedabad and his bowling changes — rather his every move on the field — were being scrutinised by all. That amounts to immense pressure on the captain.

But Hardik is not new to pressure, having swum in the rough seas of international cricket. He also sports a cool demeanour and knows what it takes to win in a merciless tournament like the IPL. It’s good for him that the team did not look too wayward in their loss and a little more planning might make things right.

Also, with Rohit and Jasprit Bumrah, the two mainstays of the team, looking in good touch, captain Hardik can hope for a turnaround on Wednesday.

The Sunrisers, on the other hand, missed a golden opportunity when they lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders narrowly at Eden Gardens.

Captained by Pat Cummins, the Sunrisers had almost upstaged Andre Russell’s heroics with their own power-hitter, South African Heinrich Klaasen, unleashing a flurry of big hits.

Playing at home, the Sunrisers will surely back themselves to find Mumbai’s weak spots and cash in on them.

One match-up that will keep many intrigued is the battle between Klaasen and Bumrah. While Klaasen enjoys the reputation of one of the most destructive batters in world cricket at the moment, Bumrah’s skills in taming even the best is second to none. Even in the loss against the Titans, Bumrah stood out with three wickets. So who will have the last laugh on Wednesday?

On the team front, Mumbai are still without the services of Suryakumar Yadav and so will have to bat strong in the middle overs. The Sunrisers may be tempted to give Travis Head or Glenn Phillips a look-in.