PRE MATCH ANALYSIS
Follow UsMumbai Indians are 0-7. They have never before in the history of the Indian Premier League have lost their first seven games on the trot. They are in shambles; every move has redirected them anywhere but in the winning direction.
On Thursday, they had a strong opportunity to win their first game against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings but as it has turned out this season: they let the game slip away. Lucknow would have noticed the multiple chinks in the Mumbai armor, something that they would be looking to exploit, come Sunday.
Lucknow’s loss against Bangalore could work as a catalyst for their season, which started with thundering wins. While the team has looked one of the best-balanced sides in the competition, the form of Manish Pandey has come under scanner multiple times during the season.
While Mumbai are almost out of the competition, Lucknow have all to play, with a real chance of strengthening their claims at the top of the table. But with a house-full crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, it would give the Rohit Sharma-led side a real chance of breaking their drought in the competition.
Indifferent season for Mumbai openers
Skipper Rohit Sharma has had his fair share of struggle in the competition but with Ishan Kishan too struggling from the other end, it has made Mumbai very vulnerable at the top of the order. The pair average 23.5, with a strike-rate of 120.1, third-worst in the competition thus far. While Kishan has showed glimpse of promise, with his 81*, his partner at the other end has struggled for a big score.
Across seven games, the Indian skipper only has piled 114 runs, averaging a meagre 16.29, striking at an ordinary strike-rate of 126.7. Rohit’s steady decline has put enough pressure on the rest of the batting order.
The other day, against CSK, both the Mumbai openers registered a duck, putting the middle-order in dire straits. Mumbai’s middle-order has scored the most runs amongst the ten franchises, averaging 34.7, striking at 143 with 11 30+ scores.
Against Lucknow, one of the strongest bowling units, it would be important for the two openers to give a strong start, if Mumbai want to stay relevant in this year’s competition.
The curious case of Marcus Stoinis
At this point in the IPL, it is tough to decipher what exactly Marcus Stoinis’ role is in the Lucknow Super Giants. Is he a bowling all-rounder? Is he a designated finisher? The questions are aplenty. Thus far in the tournament, the Australian has been employed as a No.4, No.7 and No.8. But with Manish Pandey struggling to find form, does it present Lucknow with an opportunity to use Stoinis at No.3?
His best in the IPL has come at No.5, where he averages 25.6, scoring at 134.7. While No.3 has not been his strong of suits, there is a real opportunity for the franchise to push the Australian up the order, at No.4, where he strikes it at 163.6, his best numbers.
In five appearances, Pandey only averages 13.2, at a strike-rate of 113.8. With a host of reliable batters in the Lucknow setup, pushing the Australian up the order could help Lucknow maximize on his potential. And instead of Pandey, the franchise could bring in someone like Krishnappa Gowtham, who could both bat and provide an interesting option with the ball.
Have Mumbai finally found their best playing XI?
Throughout this season, Mumbai Indians have been a franchise that have suffered to find an optimal playing XI. While in some games they have started Tim David, in the others they have opted to play Dewald Brevis. Daniel Sams, Tymal Mills, Fabian Allen and Riley Meredith have all been tried too but against CSK, there was a sign that suggests that maybe Mumbai have found their best playing XI.
The inclusion of Meredith and Hrithik Shokeen strengthened the franchise’s bowling unit. Even then, there are issues with the franchise’s setup, considering Kieron Pollard’s form with the bat. In seven games this season, the Windies all-rounder has struggled massively with the bat, only scoring 96 runs, going 13 consecutive innings without a 30+ score.
His evident weakness against spin has been well exploited by the franchise. Mumbai are still not a top-quality side, considering the form of their top players in the loss against CSK, it looked like the pieces were finally falling through, at least with the ball. Maybe this is the balance that they were trying to find.
Playing XI and Team Combinations
With nothing to lose, there perhaps is a case for the franchise to feature another spinner in the playing XI, at the expense of a pacer, with Murugan Ashwin showing glimpses of promise. Barring that, expect no other changes from the five-time IPL champions.
Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Dewald Brevis, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Hrithik Shokeen, Daniel Sams, Murugan Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Riley Meredith
For Lucknow, there might be just the one change, with the franchise opting to bring Krishnappa Gowtham into the setup, at the expense of the struggling Manish Pandey.
Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Krishnappa Gowtham, Dushmantha Chameera, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan
