MUMBAI: In a video shared by the
Mumbai Indians' official X handle, veteran opener
Rohit Sharma can be seen cheekily taunting Lucknow Super Giants’ Mumbai seamer Shardul Thakur for arriving late to practice, ahead of the two team's crucial IPL-2025 encounter at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday afternoon. “Kya re hero, abhi aa raha hai, ghar ka team hai kya? (Hey, hero, you're coming now? Is this your home?” Rohit is heard saying, drawing laughter from teammates and fans online alike.
The friendly banter that Rohit indulged in with Thakur, while sitting next to his former Indian teammate Zaheer Khan (LSG mentor), during both team's practice session at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday reflects the 37-year-old's relaxed mood following his rediscovery of form after a lean phase. The former India Test & ODI captain will go into Sunday afternoon’s contest off the back of two successive fifties – an unbeaten 76 from 45 balls in the return fixture against Chennai Super Kings, and a fluent 70 off 46 deliveries versus Sunrisers Hyderabad, which helped MI clinch a seven-wicket win.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Meanwhile, Rohit's Mumbai teammate Thakur too has made a strong impact since joining LSG as a replacement for the injured Mohsin Khan. The right-arm pacer is currently the franchise’s top wicket-taker, having picked up 12 scalps in nine matches@28.00, even though he won't be happy with his economy rate of 11.20. In the previous fixture against MI, Shardul finished with figures of one for 40 in four overs, accounting for the dismissal of MI wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton. This time, though, the 'Palghar Express' should be at ease bowling at a venue which is his home while playing for Mumbai in domestic cricket.
In complete contrast to the MI dressing room is the tense atmosphere that seems to be prevailing in the LSG dressing room. The visitors’ biggest worry, of course, is captain Rishabh Pant's wretched run. Bought as the most expensive player in IPL history by the Lucknow-based franchise for Rs 27 crores, Pant has endured disastrous form-106 runs in nine matches@13.25, with just one fifty. To make it worse, there are rumours of a crack in his relationship Zaheer Khan after he was seen in an animated discussion with the LSG team mentor just before he was sent in at No 7 - a decision that hardly made sense-in the eight-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals back home at Lucknow on April 22. India's Test 'keeper endured a painful two-ball stay that saw him missing a wild swing before being cleaned up by Mukesh Kumar while going for a switch hit.
All LSG managed was 159 for six after being put in to bat first at the Ekana Cricket Stadium with opener Aiden Markram hitting a half-century. In reply, half-centuries from KL Rahul and Abhishek Porel helped DC chase down the target in 17.5 overs.
Buoyed by Rohit's return to form, MI, on a roll after recording four wins on the trot, will be confident to down an unpredictable LSG in what will be a critical match for both teams, still alive in the playoff hunt.
With the playoff race heating up in IPL 2025, MI have hit top gear at the right time. After a disappointing start to the season with just one win in their first five outings, the Hardik Pandya-led side has bounced back with a series of victories. Even as MI are placed fourth in the table, and LSG are at the sixth spot, both teams have little to separate them. Both have an identical record in IPL-2025-five wins and four defeats. Mumbai will no doubt want to avenge their 12-run defeat to LSG from earlier this month at the Ekana Stadium.
MI's surge after a familiar poor start has largely been powered by India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav-with 373 runs in nine matches, including two fiftis@62.16, and an incredible strike rate of 166.51, SKY has been MI's leading run-getter this season. While he smashed a 19-ball 40 not out to star in MI's seven-wicket romp over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad, India's T20 captain was at his imperious best during his 30-ball 68 not out, which included five sixes, that fashioned a nine-wicket thrashing of CSK at the Wankhede Stadium on April 20. Sweeping with ridiculous command during his entertaining 114-run stand in just 54 balls for the second wicket with Rohit, the 34-year-old completely nullified CSK's spin trio of Noor Ahmed, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandra Ashwin.
MI will thus bank on SKY to once again tackle the threat of impressive leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi, who has taken nine wickets in nine matches, managing to catch attention with his performances rather than just his 'notebook celebration' which the umpires have now become lenient about.
The biggest danger to MI's win streak comes from LSG's firing top three-Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram. The deadly trio has recorded four fifties each, with the explosive West Indian Pooran, enjoying a run which reminds you of Caribbean Chris Gayle's IPL exploits for RCB, wearing the Orange Cap (377 runs in nine matches@47.12, strike rate of 204.89). However, will the LSG top-order be able to conquer MI's world-class pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah (five wickets in five matches since his return from injury) and Trent Boult (four for 26 in the last match vs SRH).
LSG will also hope that a couple of India players who have impressed-Ayush Badoni smashed 36 not out off just 21 balls against Delhi Capitals in the last match, and seamer Avesh Khan (eight wickets in eight matches) continue their fine show.
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