IPL 2017, GL vs MI: 5 winning factors
The Gujarat Lions, fresh from a thumping win against the RCB, will take on the Mumbai Indians in match 35 of IPL 2017 at Rajkot on April 29. While one team is struggling to stay afloat in the competition, the other is having a dream run this season.
The Mumbai Indians are placed at No. 2 on the points table after six wins and just two losses from eight matches whereas the Lions are at the fifth spot after three wins from an equal number of matches as MI.
Extra Cover: IPL 2017 MI vs GL: Mumbai Indians (MI) today's probable playing 11 against Gujarat Lions (GL)
The Lions batsmen struck some form last match, with Suresh Raina, their skipper, grabbing the orange cap and Aaron Finch smashing the RCB bowlers all around the ground, but their real test will be against an in-form Mumbai bowling attack. Mitchell McClenaghan has been taking wickets with great consistency, Harbhajan Singh has been at his miserly best in the powerplay overs and, Jasprit Bumrah has been un-hittable at the death.
How the GL batsmen will tackle this bowling trio can decide the outcome of this contest. Let’s have a look at 5 factors of winning for the teams in this match:
#1 With the bat
For the home team, the top 3 hold the key. Brendon McCullum has been in sublime form this season and his partner, Aaron Finch, was devastating in the last match, despite batting at 4, while skipper Suresh Raina is in the top five run-makers this season.
These three will have the responsibility to shepherd the GL innings whether they are batting first or chasing. Although it was Ishan Kishan who opened against the RCB and Finch batted at 4, he must be back to opening the innings considering MI’s superior bowling line-up.
In the middle order, the man in-form Dinesh Karthik will have to guide the inexperienced Ishan Kishan to help propel his side to a good score. James Faulkner hasn’t really had a chance to make an impact with the bat and show his fine finishing skills so far, but he should be the man to seal it for the Lions should the match get to that stage.
For the visitors, the opening pair has been remarkably consistent and hence, the team hasn’t had to change the opening pair at all in their eight matches. The two wicket-keepers, Parthiv and Buttler, have been instrumental in laying the foundation of most MI wins this season and they will try to continue in the same vein against the GL.
Captain Rohit Sharma made his first fifty of the season in the last game and showed clear signs of returning to form, which is great news for MI. Nitish Rana and Kieron Pollard would look to continue their rich form against a low-on-confidence GL bowling attack.