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The Mumbai batters put up an underwhelming performance as the visitors fell to a four wicket loss to hosts Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
In what could be considered a low-scoring affair, only two batters shone through, with Nehal Wadhera scoring the bulk of the runs for MI and Marcus Stoinis scoring the only half-century off the match.
Nehal Wadhera
Mumbai's batting woes continued as their top order crumbled against Lucknow's clinical bowling attack. Reduced to a precarious 28/4 by the end of the Powerplay, MI's innings were on the brink of disaster.
However, a lone warrior emerged in the form of left-handed batter Nehal Wadhera.
Stepping up to the challenge, Wadhera played a crucial rear-guard role, stitching together a vital 53-run partnership with Ishan Kishan (32). Notably, this partnership was the slowest fifty partnership of IPL 2024, highlighting the cautious approach needed to rebuild the innings.
Despite the slow pace, it was Wadhera who took the initiative to accelerate the scoring rate. By the 16th over, he had pushed Mumbai's tally past a sluggish 6 runs per over mark, showcasing his attacking intent. Big shots like two sixes and a boundary off Mayank Yadav in the 15th over further emphasised his fighting spirit.
While Kishan eventually departed, Wadhera continued his valiant knock, finishing with a well-compiled 46 runs off 41 balls, including 4 boundaries and 2 sixes. His knock proved to be the only substantial resistance for MI, preventing a complete collapse.
KL Rahul
Not a big score on the board, but the LSG skipper built a crucial partnership with Marcus Stoinis to set the hosts up for a win at home.
With his usual partner-in-crime Quinton de Kock, not in the playing XI, Rahul opened along side Arshin Kulkarni who departed for a first ball duck.
After toiling to 6 off 14, Rahul found his first boundary in the fifth over, welcoming Nuwan Thushara with a four.
Dropped from India's squad for the T20 World Cup, Rahul showed his intent as he hammered Thushara for 6-4-4 to thrash the bowler for 20 runs. But once again, Rahul failed to convert his knock to a big one as Hardik Pandya sent him packing for 28 off 22. Rahul and Stoinis's 58 run partnership off 40 balls for the second wicket was crucial for the hosts.
Rahul, who struck three boundaries and a six, also brought up his 400 runs in IPL 2024.
Marcus Stoinis
He had the all-rounder's cap on, delivering with bat, ball and picking up a catch! After turning in a crucial spell to restrict MI to a below-par total, Stoinis top scored for the hosts to set them up for the sixth win this season.
Coming in at No. 3, Stoinis arrived at the crease in the very first over. Showing his intent early, Stoinis got off the mark with a boundary off Jasprit Bumrah. He kept the run rate in check with regular boundaries. After a quiet over from Thushara, Stoinis took back-to-back boundaries off Gerald Coetzee, bludgeoning both fours past mid wicket.
Stoinis hammered his first six off Bumrah as he smashed MI's best bowler for a maximum over long off. He took a couple off Piyush Chawla as he brought up his fifty off 39 deliveries.
This was his second fifty of the season after his sizzling unbeaten ton against Chennai Super Kings. Stoinis then pressed his foot on the peddle to welcome Mohammed Nabi into the attack with a boundary and a maximum.
After crashing Nabi's first ball through point for four, Stoinis launched the next one over long on for six. But he failed to finish the job for LSG, departing in the same over. Holing out to deep midwicket Stoinis fell for a 45-ball 62. His knock was peppered with seven boundaries and two maximums.
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