Mumbai Indians had an off day with the willow against Lucknow Super Giants yesterday, managing just 144 runs after being asked to bat first. Mumbai's batting struggles came just hours after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.
Several Mumbai batsmen who were selected for the World Cup like captain Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav had poor outings. Sharma was out for a duck while Suryakumar could only manage 6 runs. Youngster Tilak Varma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya also failed to rise to the occasion as Mumbai were reduced to 27/4 in the powerplay.
Nehal Wadhera top-scored for them with a stabilizing 46 but Mumbai struggled to post a competitive total. Their bowling started well by removing KL Rahul early but Marcus Stoinis' patient 62-run knock ensured Lucknow never fell behind in the chase. Stoinis found support from Deepak Hooda (24) in a 47-run stand for the third wicket.
Hardik Pandya returned figures of 2/26 but it was not enough as Lucknow overcame some late stutters to cross the line with four wickets and three balls to spare. The victory consolidates Lucknow's position in the top four while Mumbai remain in the bottom half, struggling for consistency this season.
They will hope for a quick turnaround in form from their key players ahead of the international assignments. Mumbai have little margin left in their bid for a playoff berth as they prepare to take on table-toppers Chennai in their next match on Sunday.
