It has been a forgettable season for the Mumbai Indians, who finished with the wooden spoon, managing only four wins. The campaign began poorly, with boos directed at skipper Hardik Pandya, a sentiment that continued when he was dismissed for 16 runs off 13 balls in their final league match against the Lucknow Super Giants. Chasing a daunting target of 214, MI faltered and ended at 196/7, falling 18 runs short.
Rohit Sharma provided some moments of cheer for the Wankhede crowd, ending his run of low scores with a blazing 68 off 38 balls. This performance might boost his confidence ahead of the crucial World Cup campaign.
Earlier in the match, Nicholas Pooran dominated the middle overs for LSG, completing his fifty in just 19 balls. His explosive innings included five fours and eight sixes, particularly targeting Anshul Kamboj, Hardik Pandya, Arjun Tendulkar, and Naman Dhir. Pooran’s 75 off 29 balls compensated for KL Rahul’s steady 55 off 41 balls, propelling LSG to a total of 214. Ayush Badoni’s quickfire 22 off 10 balls ensured they crossed the 200-run mark.
The only highlight in MI’s bowling was Nuwan Tushara, who delivered his best performance with figures of 4-0-28-3, after training under the guidance of his idol, Lasith Malinga.
Jasprit Bumrah’s season concluded early as MI opted to rest three regular players for the dead-rubber match. Arjun Tendulkar replaced Bumrah, Romario Shepherd came in for Tim David, and Dewald Brevis replaced Tilak Varma. LSG concluded their season in sixth place, tied on 14 points with Chennai Super Kings (4th) and Delhi Capitals (5th). CSK, however, have a match in hand and are set to face RCB on Saturday.
