3 things MI must do right to defeat LSG in IPL 2024 clash in Lucknow
Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) are teetering on the edge as they face off against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a virtual do-or-die game in Lucknow on April 30.
Despite boasting a strong side on paper, MI has struggled for consistency and cohesion on the field thus far this season. The Hardik Pandya-led side has won only three of their nine outings and sits second to bottom on the points table with five games remaining.
As a result, MI must more or less win all their games left and hope for a few other results to go their way to qualify for the playoffs. Their opponents, LSG, are coming off a loss in their previous fixture against Rajasthan Royals (RR) but have a winning record of 5-4 in nine games.
The clash will be the first of two between the sides this season, with LSG holding a 3-1 overall edge in previous meetings in the IPL.
While there are several aspects MI must tighten up in their game, here are three things they must do right to defeat LSG in this crucial encounter at Lucknow.
# 1 Better utilization of spinners
The ongoing IPL has been defined with record-breaking team totals and a key factor for that has been the smaller boundary size at most venues around the country.
Yet, the exception to the rule is the Ekana Stadium at Lucknow, which gives the bowlers, especially the spinners, some leeway with bigger boundaries. However, MI has been among the teams reluctant to utilize their spinners even as the pacers have gone for plenty in most games.
For context, veteran Afghanistan off-spinner Mohammad Nabi has bowled only 11 overs in six games. Even the Indian spin duo of Piyush Chawla and Shreyas Gopal have averaged under three overs per innings.
All this while the MI pacers barring Jasprit Bumrah have been taken to the cleaners throughout the tournament. The side has tried seven pacers other than Bumrah in Gerald Coetzee, Nuwan Thusahara, Aakash Madhwal, Luke Wood, Romario Shepherd, Kwena Maphaka, and Hardik Pandya, with each one conceding runs at an economy of over 10.
Meanwhile, Nabi and Gopal have an economy rate under 10, yet have been largely underbowled. With the Lucknow pitch offering spinners the best opportunity to excel, MI must bowl their spinners more and reduce the usage of the routinely expensive pacers.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made the cardinal sin of bowling Moeen Ali for just one over despite him conceding 5 runs in their defeat against LSG at Lucknow. In that game, CSK bowled four overs of spin and 15 overs of pace as the home side easily chased down 180 in 19 overs.
Meanwhile, RR showed how it was done by bowling 8 of their 20 overs with spin en route to a seven-wicket victory in Lucknow.
# 2 Feast on LSG's below-par pacers
While LSG are currently at 5th in the standings, they are not without their weaknesses. One such is the inconsistency and lack of penetration among their pacers.
With the absence of the lightning-quick Mayank Yadav over the past few games due to injury, the LSG pacers have struggled to create an impact. In their recent outings, the KL Rahul-led side has fielded Matt Henry, Mohsin Khan, and Yash Thakur as their pace-bowling options.
Henry has maintained a decent economy rate of 8,60 but has picked up only one wicket in three games at a paltry average of 86. The other two Indian pacers boast a dismal economy rate of over 10 with an average in the 30s for the season.
Considering the depth and pedigree in the MI batting lineup, they must look to attack and feast on the LSG pacers to seize control of the contest.
# 3 MI's Top 3 holds the key - Avoid losing early wickets
It is not rocket science that MI's top three, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav hold the key to their chances of upstaging LSG in Lucknow. However, this factor has been even more significant for MI this season, considering the indifferent form of Hardik Pandya.
Scores of 81, 139, and 99 when MI lost their second wicket in the three wins highlight this point in bold. Yet, in their last two games that have ended in defeat, the side lost their second wicket on 45 and 6, respectively.
With LSG not boasting threatening pacers inside the powerplay, at least two of MI's three must cash in and set the platform while batting aggressively for them to pull off the victory.
So far, only Rohit boasts an average of over 35, while Kishan and Surya have averaged under 30 this season, thus explaining MI's inconsistencies as a team.
With their playoff hopes hanging by a proverbial threat, the top three will have to step up to the party to mitigate the poor form of their skipper Hardik Pandya, and the bowlers.