Overview
After a gruelling 70-match regular season and nearly two months of relentless cricket, the stage is set for the highly anticipated IPL 2023 playoffs. The second knockout (Eliminator) match features the third-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and fourth-placed Mumbai Indians, who will clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The winner of this do-or-die encounter will advance to Ahmedabad to face the loser of Qualifier 1, between Gujarat Giants and Chennai Super Kings.
Lucknow enter the playoffs in superb form, having triumphed in all three of their recent matches. Of particular significance is their five-run victory over Mumbai late in the season, which could give them a slight psychological advantage. Their most recent triumph was a nail-biting one-run win against Kolkata Knight Riders, which secured a top-four spot before the final-day drama. Nicholas Pooran played a pivotal role with the bat, contributing 58 runs from just 30 balls, while Lucknow’s spinners combined to restrict Kolkata to 79-4 after 12 overs, leaving even Rinku Singh with too much to do.
Lucknow can take solace from the fact that the IPL does not assign playoff games on the basis of performance. They managed to win only three matches at home on a pitch that produced an average first-innings total of just 148 runs. Their experience of low-and-slow pitches could, however, prove advantageous, as the pitches in Chennai have also witnessed scores of 134, 139, and 144 during the tournament.
The key to Lucknow’s success this season has been their bowlers. They may not have taken the most wickets, but have maintained an impressive economy rate, conceding an average of just 158 runs per innings. However, Lucknow’s batting remains a concern, particularly against the high-scoring Mumbai team. They need a significant improvement, especially during the powerplay, where they have managed a meagre average of 47 runs, the lowest run-rate in the tournament (7.87 runs per over).
Mumbai’s path to the playoffs was not without suspense, as they had to wait until the final night to secure their spot in Chennai. Royal Challengers Bangalore’s loss to Gujarat opened the door for Rohit Sharma’s team, allowing them to clinch fourth place. Mumbai’s biggest challenge this season has been their bowling line-up, with the absence of Jasprit Bumrah before the tournament and Jofra Archer during the season causing anxiety among their fans.
Thankfully, Mumbai’s strong batting line-up has carried them through, led by Suryakumar Yadav, who has amassed 511 runs at an exceptional strike-rate of 185. Ishan Kishan and Cameron Green, both top-order batsmen, have also contributed significantly, each surpassing 380 runs for the season.
In their last match, Green’s explosive maiden IPL century from No.3 inspired a rout of Surisers Hyderabad, despite Mumbai needing to chase down 201 in a must-win game. Additionally, Rohit found form at a crucial juncture, scoring 56 from 37 balls before Suryakumar sealed the victory.
However, a major concern for Mumbai remains their inability to contain opponents. Throughout the season, Mumbai have been the most profligate bowling side, with an average of 187 runs conceded per match. Despite Piyush Chawla’s impressive performances, finishing fourth in the wicket-taking charts with 20 dismissals at an average of 21.10, there has been an overall toothlessness to Mumbai’s bowling.
This is Mumbai’s 10th playoff appearance, second only to Chennai. That they’ve won the title on five of those occasions should tell you just how dangerous they are at the business end of a season.
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Venue and time
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. 7:30 PM
Expected conditions and toss
A hot and humid evening awaits both the teams in Chennai. The Chepauk track has played to its nature, being low and slow during the course of the tournament. The team winning the toss could opt to bat first.
Head-to-head
Mumbai have yet to win in three previous attempts against Lucknow.
Likely Playing XIs and Impact Player
Hrithik Shokeen is a likely option for Mumbai Indians when it comes to the Impact Player. For Lucknow, Amit Mishra is set to continue in the role when they bat first.
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan (WK), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Kumar Kartikeya, Chris Jordan, Piyush Chawla, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal.
Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock (WK), Kyle Mayers, Krunal Pandya (C), Prerak Mankad, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Avesh Khan.
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