As the curtains swiftly draw to a close on the tournament, anticipation builds for another exhilarating showdown as Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians prepare to face off against KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants in Match 67 of the 2024 Indian Premier League season, slated to unfold on Friday at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Despite still being mathematically alive for the knockout stages, LSG’s campaign appears all but over, as their chances of advancing to the playoffs for a third consecutive time are highly improbable.
Meanwhile, the hosts, MI, have already become the first team eliminated from this season’s IPL, currently languishing at 9th spot on the points table with 4 wins and 9 losses.
Delving into the qualification scenarios for the Super Giants, who currently boast 12 points with 6 wins and 7 losses, their path to the playoffs hinges on a monumental victory over MI in their final match, coupled with a fervent wish for Chennai Super Kings to triumph over Royal Challengers Bengaluru and for Sunrisers Hyderabad to stumble in both of their remaining matches as well.
What has happened so far?
The start couldn’t have been worse for the five-time IPL champions, MI, as they lost their first three matches of the ongoing tournament. However, their next two matches turned in their favour as they comfortably defeated Delh Capitalsi and RCB.
Their momentum faced a formidable challenge when they clashed with their arch-rivals, CSK, ultimately conceding a 20-run defeat. Subsequently, Pandya’s side secured their only away victory of the season at Mullanpur Stadium against Punjab Kings. Despite this, MI faced a string of setbacks in their following six matches, managing only one win against SRH, much to the disappointment of their fans.
Meanwhile, the LSG brigade started their campaign on a sour note, succumbing to a defeat against Rajasthan Royals. However, they exhibited resilience in the subsequent three matches, clinching victories in all of them. Yet, their momentum wavered with consecutive losses against Delhi and Kolkata. Nonetheless, they showcased their mettle by triumphing over Chennai twice in succession.
In their next five matches, LSG won only a single game against MI. However, more significant were their massive defeats by Kolkata Knight Riders and SRH, which caused a substantial dip in their net run rate, putting them at risk of elimination even if they won their final match.
Head to Head Record
The head-to-head record clearly favors LSG with four wins in five matches, while the Mumbai-based franchise has only managed to secure one victory against the Lucknow-based franchise.
Key Players
Bumrah has a bowling strike rate of 15.55 in IPL 2024
Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians): The current holder of the Purple Cap and a master of pace bowling, Jasprit Bumrah aims to conclude the season on a high note, unleashing his lethal deliveries against the sluggish LSG batting lineup. With an impeccable economy rate of 6.48, Bumrah has scalped 20 wickets at an impressive average of 16.80 in IPL 2024.
The Ahmedabad-born speedster exhibited a spellbinding performance against LSG earlier this season, conceding just 17 runs off 24 balls. Moreover, in the recent clash against Kolkata, Bumrah joined a club as only the third bowler to claim 20 or more wickets in four IPL seasons, equalling the record set by Lasith Malinga. While Mumbai Indians are now playing solely for pride, the franchise pins its hopes on a magical performance from their premier match-winner in their final outing of the season.
Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Supergiants): The West Indian batting sensation, Nicholas Pooran, has left an indelible mark on the season with his explosive performances in the middle order for Lucknow. Currently the second-highest run-scorer for his team, Pooran has amassed 424 runs in 13 innings at a staggering average of over 60 and a strike rate nearing 169.
With 28 sixes to his credit this season and two half-centuries under his belt, Pooran’s recent blitzkrieg against Delhi saw him plundering 61 runs off just 27 deliveries at a blistering strike rate of approximately 225. While he narrowly missed finishing the game for LSG, the star batter would aim to continue his onslaught, aiming to send more balls sailing into the stands at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
Team News from Both Camps
Both Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants kept battling with fitness issues to their key players in IPL 2024 and the franchises would be looking ahead to finish the season before replenishing their squads at the mega-auction ahead of IPL 2025.
Predicted XIs
Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya ©, Tim David, Anshul Kamboj, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah
Lucknow Supergiants: KL Rahul © (wk), Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya, Arshad Khan, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohsin Khan
Prediction
In what could be a decisive clash for LSG, the Mark Boucher-coached squad holds the advantage, especially on their home turf. Despite the subdued performances from veterans like Rohit Sharma, captain Pandya, and opener Ishan Kishan, the team’s familiarity with the conditions could tip the scales in their favor.