Bishamber Yadav, Mumbai Uncensored, 30th May, 2023:
The Mumbai Indians will be a more certain team when they take on the tenacious Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator at Chepauk on Wednesday thanks to the batting unit finally clicking and a very spectacular admission into the IPL play-offs. Mumbai Indians have improved since their dismal performance from the previous season, when they had one of their poorest finishes in the IPL.
Gujarat Titans, led by Rohit Sharma, would like to make the most of the proverbial ‘life’ to go the distance and win their sixth championship after making it this far in the IPL 2023 after defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore and pitch-forking the five-time champions into the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants
The Lucknow Super Giants are well aware of the fact that RCB eliminated them at the same level last year despite being one of the most dominant teams.
They have appeared to be a cohesive team despite the absence of regular captain KL Rahul, but how Krunal Pandya has tactfully used his resources will be crucial when they play the most successful IPL team, which appears to have rediscovered its mojo after winning at the end of the competition
The impact of towering Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, who scored an undefeated century to help MI upset Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last league match before GT overcame RCB, cannot be overstated.When they take against LGS in the game of life or death, Green (381 runs), a resurgent Suryakumar Yadav (511 runs, one century, four fifties), skipper Rohit (313) and Ishan Kishan (439) will be their important batsmen.
LSG bowlers will be aware that they have a chore on their hands to contain the likes of Rohit and Co. if they get going now that Mumbai’s batting puzzle is finally coming together
Ravi Bishnoi will be crucial if the squad wants to contain MI
Bishnoi has been LSG’s top bowler (16 wickets from 14 games), and he would be Krunal’s first choice. But it would also be crucial for individuals like Naveen-ul-Haq and Avesh Khan to step up, in addition to Krunal and seasoned Amit Mishra
LSG witnessed MI lose to Chennai Super Kings relatively handily here in the preliminary round after their batting misfired. They would aim to take advantage of the weakness and deny the team that has been unable to mount a strong speed bowling attack without Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer
Despite Rahul’s absence, LSG’s batting has been strong, and Marcus Stoinis’ (368 runs in 14 games) big-hitting has helped the team easily qualify for the playoffs.
Kyle Mayers (361 runs) and Nicholas Pooran (358) contributed a Caribbean flavour to LSG’s success and were key cogs in it. The result of the game would depend on how they perform at the Chepauk, which has a history of producing slow-moving pitches.
