After taming Mumbai at CCI last week, Super Giants look for Wankhede mastery
Mumbai Indians have been a shadow of themselves in the ongoing IPL season. The five-time champion side has struggled to register even a solitary win in the seven games they've played so far. After they lost the first match, MI fans argued it was normal as the team inevitably starts with a defeat.
Then Mumbai lost two, then three, then four, and the fans started citing examples where the team has gone on to win the IPL after losing the first four matches. But MI's slide didn't stop and they lost the next three matches too. The confidence that Mumbai fans exude over their team has suddenly disappeared.
In their last game against Chennai Super Kings, MI looked desperate for a win. So much so that Rohit Sharma was immaculately setting his field after every delivery. At times, the Mumbai skipper also went to the bowler and urged him to bowl the particular delivery he was envisioning.
All that effort was put to rest by the evergreen MS Dhoni, who smacked Jaydev Unadkat for 17 runs in the final over of CSK's chase to pull off an improbable victory.
On Sunday, MI will take on Lucknow Super Giants in a return-leg fixture at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Winless and languishing at the bottom of the points table, it will take a special effort from Rohit and his boys to put it across a well-knit Lucknow side that has won four out of its seven matches.
Lucknow are coming into the match after suffering an 18-run loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore. But the fact that they had defeated Mumbai by 18 runs in the first leg will give LSG a lot of confidence.
Lucknow captain KL Rahul (265 runs in the tournament) had scored a majestic 60-ball unbeaten 103 in that game, and would look to carry on his good form. His opening partner Quinton de Kock (215 runs) has also fared well with the willow. Lucknow's USP, though, have been the plethora of allrounders it has in the team. Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya and Krishnappa Gowtham cover all types of the allrounder variety.
For Mumbai, the problems have stemmed from not just its bowling department but also the batting. Openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have failed to give the side a good start, and that has proved to be a major downer for Mumbai.
