17 May,2024 10:59 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Hardik Pandya (Pic: AFP)
Out of reckoning from the IPL 2024 playoffs, Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants will look to end their campaign on a winning note when they clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
While Mumbai Indians were knocked out of the playoffs race long ago, Lucknow Super Giant's chances of making the last-four are extremely bleak even if they win their last IPL game by a huge margin.
Three consecutive defeats have not only denied LSG crucial points, they have also battered their net run rate.
A 98-run loss to KKR was followed by a 10-wicket hammering by Sunrisers Hyderabad with a 19-run defeat to Delhi Capitals all but ending their chances of getting into the playoffs after making the final-four in the previous edition.
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The seventh-placed LSG's NRR of -0.787 will not improve significantly for them to get back into contention, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at No. 6, are much better placed with a NRR of 0.387.
Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians were the first team to be knocked out of the race for the playoffs this year as they endured a horror first season under new skipper Hardik Pandya.
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With only four wins from 13 matches so far, Mumbai Indians can at best finish with 10 points if they win on Friday, something that can possibly help them avoid a last-place finish.
For Mumbai Indians, a pre-season change of leadership, with Pandya replacing Rohit Sharma as captain, set off angry reactions from fans, which seem to have marred their campaign to a large extent.
As a team, MI failed to get behind their captain. While their batting failed collectively, Jasprit Bumrah's individual brilliance with the ball (20 wickets in 13 matches), could not inspire the other bowlers to come together.
The focus of the match would be on the likes of T20 World Cup-bound players such as Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav given that they would be pivotal to India's hopes of bringing back the elusive trophy.
Rohit is enduring a horror run with the bat with his best being 19 in the last six outings for MI, while Pandya too has not been able to inspire confidence in his all-round role.
Suryakumar, though, has regained confidence with a strong showing in the IPL following three fifties and a century.
For LSG, the lack of firepower and failure to capitalise on key moments has led to their plight even though skipper KL Rahul has had a successful run with the bat, scoring three half-centuries in his 465 runs this season at an average of 136.36.
His strike rate, however, remained a topic of debate throughout even as the other batters failed to pull their weight.
While Nicholas Pooran (424 runs at 168.92) provided the late impetus, the collective failure of LSG's bowlers has also remained an area of concern.
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Harvik Desai (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood.
Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (c & wk), Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Shamar Joseph, Yash Thakur, Manimaran Siddharth, Prerak Mankad, Arshad Khan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Amit Mishra, Kyle Mayers, Ashton Turner, Matt Henry, Naveen-ul-Haq, Devdutt Padikkal, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Mayank Yadav, Arshin Kulkarni
Wicketkeepers: Ishan Kishan, Nicholas Pooran, Quinton de Kock
Batsmen: Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Marcus Stoinis
Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Naveen-ul-Haq, Arshad Khan
Mumbai Indians opted to field against Lucknow Super Giants in the final IPL encounter for both teams on Friday. MI inducted seamer Arjun Tendulkar in playing eleven with premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah being rested ahead of T20 World Cup. Also, the injured Tilak Varma has been replaced by Dewald Brevis. Meanwhile, LSG too made a change, bringing in Devdutt Padikkal for Quinton de Kock.
Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Hardik Pandya (c), Nehal Wadhera, Romario Shepherd, Anshul Kamboj, Piyush Chawla, Arjun Tendulkar and Nuwan Thushara.
Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Arshad Khan, Matt Henry, Ravi Bishnoi and Mohsin Khan
10:56 PM: 42/0 (5.1 overs)
Krunal Pandya comes into the attack for Henry. Two singles in the first three deliveries. This has gone to the second tier, he picked the length, moved along with the line of the ball and dispatched it with a pull.
10:14 PM: 33/0 (3.5 Overs)
Rain has stopped play, as the players rush off the field.
9:58 PM: 33/0 (3.4 Overs)
Rohit Sharma gets his groove back, as he is batting on 20 off 13 balls with two sixes and a four. MI off to a fine start in their chase of 215 runs. Ishan Kishan has been replaced by Dewald Brevis as Rohit's partner tonight.
9:30 PM: 214/6 (20 Overs)
Lucknkow Super Giants post a massive total of 214 runs, thanks to Pooran's 29-ball 75 and a handy cameo from Badoni in the end.
9:10 PM: 187/6 (18.2 Overs)
KL Rahul gets caught by Thushara bowled by Piyush Chawla. LSG go six down as they lose their skipper in the end after Pooran.
8:50 PM: 161/3 (15.2 Overs)
Nicholas Pooran sets the mood for Lucknow, as he looks set on 66 off 23 balls at the moment. KL Rahul on the other end also needs to get going now.
8:43 PM: 98/3 (12.2 Overs)
Nicholas Pooran with a four and six. KL Rahul is also getting his rhythm back, he is batting on 40 off 33 balls. MI need a wicket quickly.
8:27 PM: 80/3 (10.5 Overs)
Piyush Chawla on fire as he takes another wicket for MI. Deepak Hooda caught by Nehal Wadhera bowled by Piyush Chawla. LSG bring in Nicholas Pooran.
8:12 PM: 56/2 (7 Overs)
Marcus Stoinis gets LBW by Piyush Chawla. MI get another wicket in the powerplay, the leggie gets smashed for a couple of sixes but keeps his cool until the end of the over.
8:00 PM: 35/1 (5 Overs)
Tendulkar keeps things tight for Lucknow. LSG off to a steady start after losing Padikkal early.
7:50 PM: 14/1 (3 Overs)
Arjun Tendulkar with a tremendous over for MI. LSG take a LBW review which was given out and Marcus Stoinis is saved by that one.
7:30 PM: 4/1 (1 Over)
Devdutt Padikkal LBW by Thushara. LSG have lost their first wicket and the dry run for Padikkal continues. He will finish the season with a forgetful year for him.
