Although the Mumbai Indians have picked themselves up at the most crucial juncture of the tournament, Lucknow Super Giants could prove to be too hot to handle if they play to their potential. Their head-to-head record against the mighty Mumbai Indians has been nothing short of staggering. LSG is the bogie team for the most successful IPL side ever.
The Lucknow Super Giants are the least well-known and glamorised of the four franchises who advanced to the playoffs. Even Gujarat Titans receive significantly more attention than them, despite the fact that they obviously lack the long legacies of Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
LSG’s hits and misses
Marcus Stoinis, the leading run-scorer for LSG this season, is ranked 19th on the run rankings, and Ravi Bishnoi, their top bowler, is ranked 11th on the list of top wicket-takers. But, they lack a top-tier fast bowler with expertise, a wizard of a wrist-spinner, or a potential future superstar of India.
Krunal Pandya’s leadership
It says a lot about Krunal Pandya’s leadership that LSG made it to the playoffs without their regular skipper and top batter KL Rahul. They won three of their last four games while he was in charge, and those victories came towards the end of the league, allowing them to easily qualify without any headache about NRR(net run rate).
Players to watch out for
While Suryakumar Yadav has been in red-hot form, MI needs their skipper Rohit Sharma to deliver a match-winning performance.
The ace batter has been short of runs and has gifted his wicket in bizarre fashions. Tim Davids needs to be more consistent as a finisher and the bowling unit has to fire in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer. To be brutally honest, MI have missed them badly this season.
Marcus Stoinis is the batter to watch out for Lucknow Super Giants in the eliminator. Alongside him, they will want the devastating Nicholas Pooran to demolish oppositions.
What’s the pitch scene?
The pitch in Chepauk is ideally suited for the bowing attack of LSG. On the same field where CSK defeated Mumbai in a close low-scoring encounter, the Eliminator is most likely to be a contest. The spin trio of Pandya, Gawtham, and Bishnoi will be mighty effective on this surface.
History favours LSG
One accomplishment against one of the IPL’s most successful teams is the only thing they share with the Gujarat Titans. Similar to Titans’ 3-0 record against CSK before Qualifier 1, LSG’s record against Mumbai, their opponents in the Eliminator, is 3-0. This season, they only met once during league stages, and LSG triumphed at home by a score of 5 runs.
MI will depend on their star-studded batting line-up to provide the impetus at the powerplay and at the death overs. In fact, it is their batting unit courtesy of which they are playing the eliminator in Chepauk tonight. Akash Madhwal is starting to take over as their go-to death bowler while Nehal Wadhera has excelled with his striking prowess. Both are the discoveries of MI’s talent scout and their contribution have been immense for the success of MI.
Finals awaiting
LSG is the best team at defending totals this year, while Mumbai is the best side at chasing this season. If either side wins the toss, they will need to consider the likelihood of a sluggish pitch as well as whether or not dew will be an issue. On Wednesday, there will be no second chances in Chennai; the victor advances to the final, while the loser is gone.
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