Lucknow look to halt Mumbai’s momentum as playoffs race hots up
It is expected to be another low-scoring game in Lucknow and t he spinner s on eit her side could decide t he fat e of t he game
Mumbai Indians are on a roll in the business end of the tournament and Lucknow Super Giants will be aiming to halt their momentum on a tricky pitch in the IPL in Lucknow on Tuesday.
Mumbai Indians are third on the points table with 14 points and with a point less from same the number of games, LSG are holding on to the fourth spot.
Both teams will be looking to get out of the danger zone as eight teams remain in the play-off contention.
Suryakumar Yadav is back to his breathtaking best and played a huge role in Mumbai’s wins in the previous two games.
Short of runs in the tournament, Rohit Sharma too found some rhythm against Gujarat Giants and will be looking to play a substantial knock at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium.
In Tilka Varma’s absence, Mumbai have found an able replacement in Nehal Wadehra, who seems to be geting beter with every opportunity on the big stage.
On the bowling front, veteran spinner Piyush Chawla continues to make life tough for the baters while rookie Akash Badhwal has given the pace atack a much-needed boost.
Currently, in the middle of his best-ever IPL season, leg spinner Chawla said that the team is well placed to make the playoffs with their destiny in their own hands ahead of the match against Lucknow.
“Things are in our control. If we win our remaining two matches, we can finish 1st or 2nd. We just want to play good cricket. The team picked up momentum at the right time. The confidence is very good but there is a very thin line between confidence and overconfidence and we don’t want to cross that line,” Chawla said on the eve of the clash with LSG.
Chawla missed out on the IPL for the first time last year. The snub prompted him to think about his future but he wanted to return to the tournament for his son.
“When I wasn’t picked last year and doing commentary, a lot of things were going on in my mind. I wasn’t able to decide whether I should come back or explore other things. My son is growing up and he was watching a lot of IPL and was very excited about it. So my family told me to push myself and just play for him. So I am playing for him and puting in that extra effort,” he said.
Death bowling remains a concern with Jofra Archer’s replacement Chris Jordan leaking runs in the last two games.
It is expected to be another low-scoring game here and the spinners on either side could decide the fate of the game.
Leggie Ravi Bishnoi has been the leading wicket taker for LSG and stand in captain Krunal Pandya too showed what he could do with his let-arm spin against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Veteran spinner Amit Mishra is also expected to come into play considering the conditions. The pacers have proved to be a tad expensive especially Avesh Khan, who has an economy rate of 9.75 ater nine games.
The bating looks formidable despite the absence of injured KL Rahul. Quinton de Kock has made instant impact as Rahul’s replacement at the top while Kyle Mayers is LSG’S leading run geter in the competition.
Then they have players who can win for the game even from a hopeless situation, like Nicholas Pooran did against Sunrisers.
Saurasthra bater Prerak Mankad showed what he is capable of at number three in the last game and will come out with additional confidence on Tuesday night.