3 best bowling performances in LSG-MI matches in IPL ft. Akash Madhwal
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will square off in match 48 of the ongoing 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 30 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. This will be the fifth encounter between the two sides in the tournament’s history, with their head-to-head record 3-1 in favor of LSG.
LSG and MI have been part of some entertaining affairs in the past two years, with the IPL 2023 Eliminator being the latter’s only winning match against the former in the four games that they’ve played thus far.
Though LSG have been dominant over MI in the past, the five-time champions will be hoping to add another victory to their name against the KL Rahul-led side. With the forthcoming encounter of the IPL 2024 promising to be a mouthwatering clash, let’s look at the three best bowling performances in LSG-MI matches in IPL.
#3 Naveen-ul-Haq- 4/38, IPL 2023
Though Naveen-ul-Haq’s four-wicket haul against MI in the IPL 2023 Eliminator went in vain, the Afghanistan pacer put up a remarkable show with the ball. He ran through MI’s top and middle-order to build early pressure and helped his side restrict their opponents to 182/8 in the first innings.
Naveen first dismissed the then-MI skipper Rohit Sharma to give his side an early breakthrough. MI, however, sailed through the powerplay and looked somewhat settled before the pacer wreaked havoc.
Naveen-ul-Haq dismissed the in-form Suryakumar Yadav and Cameron Green in the middle overs before adding Tilak Varma’s scalp to his kitty towards the end of the innings. The Afghan quick eventually finished with figures of 4/38 in his four-over spell.
#2 Krunal Pandya- 3/19, IPL 2022
When no other batter could make a mark, KL Rahul’s magnificent century powered LSG to an above-par total of 168/6 in the first innings. It was then Krunal Pandya, who bowled a game-changing spell of 3/19 in what was the first-ever IPL encounter between MI and LSG.
MI’s start to the chase was slow, as Ishan Kishan played on the back foot, with Rohit Sharma taking charge of the run-scoring. Kishan’s misery came to an end in the eighth over when he was dismissed for 8 (20). The first wicket led to a mini-collapse as MI lost three more wickets within the next four overs.
Krunal Pandya got the big fish, the opposition skipper, back into the dugout as MI faced a setback in the middle overs. The spin-bowling all-rounder then put up a brilliant show in the final over to dismiss the dangerous Kieron Pollard and Daniel Sams as LSG held MI to 132/8 to win the game by 36 runs.
#1 Akash Madhwal- 5/5, IPL 2023
Akash Madhwal’s record five-wicket haul is arguably the finest bowling performance in LSG-MI encounters. In the crucial Eliminator fixture of the IPL 2023, the Mumbai seamer ripped apart LSG’s batting unit to register the most economical five-for in IPL history.
Defending the 183-run target against LSG at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Madhwal’s bowling efforts, combined with the Mumbai players’ fielding brilliance, led them to a massive 81-run win as MI secured their place in the second Qualifier.
Madhwal started off by dismissing Prerak Mankad in just the second over of the innings. He then sent Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi and Mohsin Khan back to the dugout as LSG’s batting unit witnessed a terrible collapse.
The KL Rahul-led side was skittled out for 101 in 16.3 overs as MI registered their first-ever win against LSG.