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IPL 2017, MI vs RPS: 5 things that went wrong for Mumbai Indians

Rahane came back in form at just the right time for RPS

Action resumed at the 2017 season of the Indian Premier League as league toppers Mumbai Indians took on second-placed Rising Pune Supergiant in Qualifier 1 of the Playoffs stage at the Wankhede in Mumbai.

Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to field in this all-important Playoff which would determine the side making a straight entry into the finals.

Wickets at the start justified Mumbai’s decision to bowl first. However, the Supergiant slowly rebuilt their innings through fifties from Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary and ended with a flourish from Dhoni, posting a defendable target of 163.

In reply, Mumbai Indians suffered a top order collapse. Though they were kept in the hunt for a while by Parthiv Patel, they eventually fell 20 runs short of the target.

With this win, the Rising Pune Supergiant have marched into the finals of IPL 2017, while Mumbai Indians will have to face the winner of the Eliminator clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Let’s look at 5 things that cost Mumbai Indians an immediate berth in the finals:

#1 Failing to capitalise on early wickets with the ball

Having opted to bowl first, Mumbai Indians started perfectly when Mitch McClenaghan cleaned up opener Rahul Tripathi in the very first over of the innings. It was a big moment in the game as Tripathi’s breezy starts had been a key factor in Pune Supergiant’s improved showing this year.

Not much later, Lasith Malinga scalped the prized wicket of Steve Smith. With the departure of their skipper, Pune were left stranded at 9/2 at just the end of the 2nd over of the innings.

However, Mumbai Indians failed to capitalise on this start. An 80-run partnership for the third wicket between Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary undid the early damage and set Pune up for a good total.

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