New Delhi [India], April 24 (ANI): Former stars Matthew Hayden and Piyush Chawla traced down the factors behind Mumbai Indians' newfound success and praised the batting masterclass from Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Mumbai has found its second wind and has managed to challenge for a spot in the playoffs after initially languishing at the bottom of the table. MI continued to inflict carnage, and this time, SRH found themselves at the receiving end in their home den.

The five-time champions outclassed the Sunrisers in all facets of the game and marched to a 7-wicket triumph with a handful of overs to spare. Piyush believes the reason behind Mumbai's recent surge, which they have exhibited in numerous past editions, comes down to their experience of making a comeback.

'They are on a roll at the moment. The kind of cricket they are playing, all the games they've won recently have been convincing victories. They haven't really had to struggle. The bowlers are doing their job, the batters are doing wonders with the bat, and the middle order isn't even getting a chance to bat,' the former MI ball tweaker said on JioHotstar.

'That's a great sign for any team. This is why we always say Mumbai Indians is a team that knows how to make a comeback and take the lead. Earlier, there were concerns about Rohit Sharma not scoring runs, but in the last two games, he has stepped up. Hardik Pandya is in great form, both with the bat and ball, which gives him a lot of confidence, and that reflects in his captaincy as well,' he added.

After Trent Boult left Sunrisers gobsmacked with a sizzling four-wicket haul, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav broke the backbone of Hyderabad's 144-run defence with a swashbuckling effort with the bat.

Rohit, with an aggressive yet controlled tempo, charged at Hyderabad's bowling unit. His belligerent 70 from 46 deliveries left the Pat Cummins-led side in dismay. He punished Hyderabad for their loose deliveries and relied on his technique to pick out gaps and keep the scoreboard ticking throughout the chase despite the tricky nature of the surface.

'It was excellent, well-measured innings. There was power, but more than anything, it was about his tempo. He knew he had a moderate total to chase. When you look at the seven-wicket victory, Mumbai Indians had plenty in the tank. It was a very emphatic and confident win, something Sunrisers Hyderabad clearly lacked. Rohit's innings had vision, stability, and perfect timing. It made the rest of the team rocket ahead,' Hayden said.

On the other hand, Suryakumar played the way he has since bursting onto the scene, relying on his unorthodox nature and easing the pressure off MI's shoulders with his knack of finding the fence at will. His flashy 40* from 19 deliveries complemented Rohit's style of play as Mumbai gunned down the target with more than four overs to spare.

'We all know what Suryakumar Yadav is capable of when he gets going. In the last game, we saw a great innings from him, which must have given him a lot of confidence. He came in with a clear plan. He took 3-4 balls to get his eye in, then started playing his signature sweeps and some classy shots over cover. The way he batted today, he looked like the Suryakumar Yadav we all know, a batter who can dominate any bowling attack. It was just brilliant,' Piyush said. (ANI)