It’s been an interesting ride in the league stage for five-time champions Mumbai Indians, but a late flourish and a massive favour from Gujarat Titans has catapulted them to the playoffs of the Indian Premier League.
Despite winning their final fixture comprehensively at home against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday afternoon, Mumbai’s destiny wasn’t in their own hands. They needed the holders to quell Royal Challengers Bangalore in the last league match of the tournament to secure their berth in the Eliminator, and Shubman Gill did Rohit Sharma, his Indian captain, a good turn with a second successive century to lay the home side low at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Hot and cold Lucknow
Now, Mumbai have the opportunity to chart their own course, starting with Wednesday night’s knockout fixture, the first this year, against Lucknow Super Giants. The latter themselves have blown hot and cold, enduring a miserable run in their own backyard to finish third. They might boast bragging rights after edging Mumbai by five runs in the only showdown between the sides this season, but Krunal Pandya’s men will be aware that will count for nothing.
Mumbai have experience of upping the ante at the crunch, and have assembled a power-packed batting unit that has scaled down targets in excess of 200 runs four times over the last eight weeks. Cameron Green’s maiden century on Sunday was the icing on the cake in a line-up where Suryakumar Yadav has come into his own after a miserable start and Rohit himself is slowly but surely finding his feet. Ishan Kishan, the unheralded Nehal Wadhera and the explosive Tim David lend further firepower, which has often allowed them to tide over the profligacy of their hastily put together bowling group.
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Pre-season injuries to Jasprit Bumrah and Jhye Richardson were compounded by Jofra Archer’s sporadic availability until he finally packed his bags and left for home. Despite Akash Madhwal’s coming of age, Mumbai’s attack has struggled for penetration, which is what Lucknow will hope to feast on.
Big ask for both teams
KL Rahul’s mid-season thigh injury could have been the deal-breaker, but the team has rallied superbly around stand-in skipper Krunal Pandya. Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis lend dash and flair to the middle order while leggie Ravi Bishnoi has been both incisive and economical. Lucknow doesn’t boast the most glamorous names, but the sum of the parts has contributed to a greater whole.
Mumbai and Lucknow will both need to win three matches in five nights if they are to be crowned champions. That’s a tall order at the end of eight gruelling weeks of intense action and no little travel; baby steps towards that end must be taken on Wednesday, otherwise it will be time to go home.
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