IPL GAME 31: Our cricket tipster The Edge previews Tuesday’s Sunrisers Hyderabad v Mumbai Indians game in the IPL with a recommended BETDAQ bet.

MATCH OVERVIEW:

It’s Game 31 at the Indian Premier League on Tuesday in Delhi as the Sunrisers Hyderabad take on the Mumbai Indians. Game 31 marks the start of the “second half” of the tournament, although technically it has become “Game 30” after the Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore game was postponed on Monday after two positive Covid19 tests in the KKR camp. It’s just the latest Covid19 drama to hit the IPL after some players opted to go home recently.

As we all know, India are in a very difficult situation with Covid19 at the moment and that has become a major talking point with the IPL – should it go ahead or does it give people some joy watching cricket. India is a “cricket mad” country, and I feel the right decision is to continue, but it is very difficult. Apart from the news outside cricket. Hyderabad have their own major cricket issues. David Warner is no longer captain and even dropped out of the XI at the weekend.

Warner looks woefully out of form, and I’m sure there ended up being some dressing room issues but it didn’t change much for Hyderabad. They conceded 220/3 to Rajasthan Royals and then come only respond with 165/8. That being said, when you concede that many runs you’re close to losing the game without blaming the batters. The reality for Hyderabad is their batting was never blockbuster but their bowling was and that has left them this season. Meanwhile, Mumbai’s batters roared back into form with a successful chase of CSK’s 218/4 the weekend.

WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:

Conditions in Delhi have been excellent for batting. At the weekend we saw 218/4 and 220/3 scored in the first innings, and the 218/4 was chased down. It definitely looked like the 171 was short of par last week when it was chased down so easily twice, and it’s only been Hyderabad that have batted reasonably poorly at this ground – and they still got 165. I would suggest we will see a score of 200 or more if Mumbai bat first but if Hyderabad bat first I wouldn’t count on a high score – they just look out of form and low on confidence.

RECOMMENDED BET:

I know Mumbai might look a little short to some cricket punters at 1.62 on BETDAQ Betting Exchange, but I can’t see past a Mumbai win here. I was waiting for the Mumbai middle order batting to come into form and they did so against CSK here at the weekend. Pollard was not out with 87 off 34 balls and that should give him the confidence to finish off the tournament with some massive sixes. The Pandya brothers have yet to get going, but they are starting to get some runs – plus the Hyderabad bowling is so poor, Mumbai should have ideal conditions here for big hitting.

The Edge Says:
Three points win Mumbai Indians to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad at 1.62 with BETDAQ Betting Exchange

View the market here -> http://bit.ly/BDQHydMum

IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:

Although you would focus a lot of your in-running strategy around the batting conditions, I feel we should have two strategies here because the teams are so far apart in terms of form and quality. If I was Hyderabad I would play Warner in these batting conditions because he has an excellent chance to come back into form, but sure let’s see what they do. I feel if Mumbai bat first they will post 200+ and it will be one way traffic. Indeed, if Hyderabad bat first I feel it could be one way traffic too as they are unlikely to get a big score. Their only hope of a big score is Baristow staying in for most of the innings.

The Mumbai mid-to-low order coming into form should bring a big amount of runs towards the end of their innings too – we saw that with Pollard against CSK and those eight sixes. The Mumbai openers have yet to really fire with a big score of 75+, but you can’t take them on in these conditions given the Hyderabad bowling has been so poor too.