Can The Mumbai Indians Dominate The IPL In The Seasons To Come?

Mumbai Indians clinched their second IPL title in style last Sunday

Mumbai Indians (MI) won their second Indian Premier League (IPL) title last Sunday, when they easily defeated six-time finalists Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 41 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, a venue where they won their 1st IPL title and against the same opposition, too, a couple of years ago.

It was such an imperious performance from Rohit Sharma's men, who were not even given a smidgen of chance of qualifying for the playoffs after they lost their first four games and looked like a disjointed unit altogether.

The turnaround began with a 18-run victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where their batsmen collectively came good for the first time in the tournament and the bowlers did enough to stop the Royal Challengers from scoring 210 in response.

The victory in Bangalore was followed by a massive loss to the Delhi Daredevils (DD) at the Feroz Shah Kotla, and Mumbai were languishing at the bottom of the table with a mere two points from six games.

However, a run of five straight victories against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi and Chennai, in that order, saw MI get closer to the playoff positions and put themselves in serious contention to make it to the last four for the sixth consecutive season.

The thrilling last over victory against Chennai, which was sealed by an exhilarating batting partnership between Hardik Pandya and the ever-reliable Ambati Rayudu, was followed by a defeat to RCB at the Wankhede Stadium; it pushed Mumbai into a tight corner, as they needed to win their remaining two games against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers, in order to qualify.

Royal Challengers were unfortunate with the weather playing spoilsport in their last game against Delhi, with a washout there restricting them to just seven wins from 14 league games and meant that they could only get to 16 points.

Therefore, MI, going into their last league game, were in a position where a win over Sunrisers, would see them move into second place behind CSK, on the basis of winning a game more than RCB, whose better net run-rate than Mumbai was overlooked.

A comfortable 9-wicket victory against David Warner's side helped the Indians progress into the playoffs, with the Qualifier 1 being held at the Wankhede Stadium, their fortress.

Dhoni's devils were the opposition, again, and Mumbai, batting first, piled up a massive 187/6 on the board, with Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard and Parthiv Patel scoring heavily and helping their team post such a huge total.

Chennai's batsmen kept their team in it until the first half of their innings. But a two-wicket over from Harbhajan Singh, dismissing Suresh Raina and Dhoni in the 11th of CSK's innings, brought the game under Mumbai's control and they went onto register a comfortable 25-run victory that saw them progress to their 3rd IPL final.

In the finals, they were once again pitted against Chennai, who defeated the Royal Challengers by 3 wickets in the second qualifier, and MI started the game as favorites for the title.

Dhoni, maybe, committed a howler in winning the toss and asking Mumbai to bat first, an opportunity they took full advantage of by posting 202/5 from their 20 overs.

The visitors' batting lineup didn't have a good season, and it showed on the night of the finals, when they failed to pace their innings well and Mumbai bowlers, led by Lasith Malinga, proved a hot cup of coffee to handle for the Chennai stroke-makers.

Mumbai, with a comprehensive 41-run win in the finals, became the third IPL side to have won two titles, along with Chennai and the Knight Riders. With the clinching of the trophy, Mumbai completed their turnaround, which, it has to be said, happened away from the spotlight.

The subsequent question, after winning the 2nd title in three years, is whether Rohit and company can dominate the league in the seasons to follow.

Read on...

Throughout the 8th edition of the IPL, everyone involved with the Nita Ambani-owned franchise kept reiterating the belief within the squad.

Ricky Ponting was a winner in his playing days, and his presence would have been valuable for Mumbai

Ricky Ponting was appointed the head-coach prior to the season, and though he didn't have any coaching pedigree prior to taking up the role with MI, he was a winner right throughout his playing career.

I think the Tasmanian's personality would have been key to instilling the winning mentality within the squad, which didn't have many decorated T20 players other than Malinga and Pollard.

Going forward, belief is something Mumbai need to have in abundance, if they are to dominate the league. But, with the 'Punter' supervising proceedings for the Indians, you can be rest assured that he will keep the players motivated and have them striving for consistency in the seasons to follow.

Talking of consistency, though, in a relatively long season, you are bound to have ups and downs and, if you want to be competing for the title, you need to have the quality to bounce back from defeats.

Mumbai, with 9 victories from their final 10 games, showed that they can go on a run of victories and have what it takes to recover from a string of defeats, too.

However, on that note, they need to be better prepared for next season and not make another horrendous start to their campaign, like they have done over the last couple of seasons.

Having won the title in the 2015 season and done so with a settled lineup for most of the second half, I feel that Mumbai probably can start off smoothly in 2016, when they will be defending their title.

Also, Pollard's form with the bat was one of the marquee reasons for his side going all the way and getting the job done on the finals day. He has lacked a bit of consistency while playing for MI since joining the franchise in 2010 but, in the two IPL winning seasons, the hard-hitting West Indian has made serious contributions with the bat.

Pollard has been a vital cog in the MI ranks in both their title-winning seasons

Pollard made 420 runs in the 2013 season, and garnered 419 runs in 2015, proving his significance to the side while batting in that No.4, No.5 and No.6 positions. Holding onto him is going to be important, as he forms the core of the Mumbai lineup.

Simmons has had two mind-boggling seasons back-to-back for the Indians, scoring 934 runs in 21 innings and repeatedly showing that he can play the long innings, which has what made him standout from the other batsmen in the side.

In addition to the Pollard-Simmons duo, the likes of Rayudu, Pandya, Rohit and Parthiv, played a crucial role in their side putting up totals on the board and also chasing them down on a couple of occasions. Rayudu, in particular, was consistent throughout the 2015 season, playing match-winning knocks against Delhi and Rajasthan at the Wankhede, and Chennai at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Such a batting lineup looks good on paper, and all of them showed good form in the season that has just been completed. A lot will depend on their batsmen if Mumbai are to dominate the IPL in the coming seasons, because batting has always been their strongest suit.

Now, the bowling department did comeback strongly in 2015 after being taken to the cleaners by Brendon McCullum at home; by Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla and also by the likes of KKR and Kings XI, who found it pretty easy to score over 170 runs against the MI bowling attack during the first half of the recently concluded IPL season.

The main reason, however, for such poor bowling performances was Malinga's wretched form at the beginning of the campaign. Someone like Steven Smith showed utter disdain in his treatment of the Sri Lankan quickie, who went for massive runs and couldn't buy more than one wicket, at least for the first four games of the season.

Malinga has delivered the goods season after season for MI, however, it cannot be a good thing to rely heavily on him. Injury to Corey Anderson, in particular, was a blessing in disguise for the 2015 IPL champions, who then brought in Mitchell McClenaghan and started tasting success from that point onwards. The New Zealand seamer bowled well since coming in, but the form of Malinga picked up, too, as the season progressed.

While the Malinga-McClenaghan bowling combination does bode well for the future, Mumbai need to look for an Indian bowler who can at least be half as good as the aforementioned overseas duo.

Vinay Kumar was an unimpressive buy, for me, and he was the weak link in his side's bowling attack that even had someone like Jagadeesha Suchith, the 21-year old Karnataka left-arm orthodox spinner, thriving on his first taste of the IPL and picking up 10 wickets from 13 games, and really did bowl well for the Indians.

Harbhajan Singh picked up 18 wickets from 15 games and proved his worth once again. His performances for Mumbai earned him a call-up to the national side that has been picked for the one-off Test match against Bangladesh next month.

MI found success with that playing XI, which was not a world-beating one by any means.

Rohit showed wonderful leadership qualities, and was pivotal to MI winning the title

Let us not overlook the leadership qualities of Rohit, who showed a good head on his shoulders and tactically was very adept at the way he concealed the chinks in his side's bowling attack. Therefore, a big portion of the success has to be attributed to Rohit, as well, for the way he led the side.

However, MI need better Indian players than the ones - Jasprit Bumrah, Pawan Suyal, Unmukt Chand, Aditya Tare, Shreyas Gopal, Pragyan Ojha, Akshay Wakhare, Siddesh Lad, Abhimanyu Mithun, Nitish Rana - who were part of their title-winning 2015 season.

They need to strengthen the side massively if they are to continue winning titles and, even better, dominate the league.

Final Thought

Mumbai winning the title in the season that has just finished is one of 'the' success stories of the IPL history.

No other IPL outfit boasts of the kind of backroom staff MI have in place

They have by far the most immaculate backroom staff - Jonty Rhodes, Robin Singh, Shane Bond and Sachin Tendulkar, in addition to the head-coach - compared to the other franchises, and we cannot underestimate the impact they would have had in the Indians turning around their form.

MI played as a unit and it was their team performances during the second half of the season, that won them the title. As aforementioned, however, they need to bring in better Indian players to complement the good overseas personnel at their disposal.

They have the necessary tools to dominate the IPL scene, and that has to be the next target for the franchise.

IPL 2015 Final - Preview: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings

Mumbai-Chennai has always been a interesting match-up in the IPL

Mumbai Indians (MI) will square off against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the fourth time this season, although the stakes will be higher than the ever before when the sides meet at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata tomorrow, to decide who wins the 8th edition of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Indians were the first team to qualify for the finals this season, after they beat the Super Kings by 25 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in the Qualifier 1 this past Tuesday.

Chennai, after losing to Mumbai, moved to Ranchi, their skipper's hometown, and awaited the winner of the eliminator that was played between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday.

Virat Kohli's side won the eliminator emphatically, putting themselves in a virtual semifinal against MS Dhoni's devils, on Friday. The hosts - Chennai - played better on the night and went onto win the game by 3 wickets, setting up a date with Mumbai in the final on Sunday.

Both these sides have been involved in a couple of IPL finals before, with Chennai winning in 2010 and Mumbai beating Dhoni's side in 2013, when the final was played at the exact same venue where the sides will meet tomorrow night.

Will the script be different this time around? Can Mumbai beat Chennai for the third time in a row this season? Which team will feel confident ahead of the final showdown?

Answers to follow...

Mumbai

Rohit's captaincy and tactical acumen has been out of the top draw

Anybody who has followed this IPL season will need no reminding of Mumbai's renaissance, winning 88% of their last 9 games and thereby getting themselves into the third final in their history.

At the beginning of the season they failed as a team, with their batsmen failing to put up the runs on the board, the bowlers proving their ineptitude to pick wickets and on the field, they failed to hang onto the chances they were afforded.

Their first win of the campaign came against Bangalore, where their batsman put up a gargantuan total (209/7) on the board, with their openers providing a solid foundation for them and the likes of Unmukt Chand and Rohit playing ideal T20 innings' to provide their side that final push to such a massive total.

RCB did well for a major part of their chase, but Mumbai bowlers did enough to win the spoils for their team.

They had a few positives to come out of that game, in which Parthiv Patel and Lendl Simmons started forming a very good partnership at the top of the order and their bowling attack provided them with some sort of solidity compared to their previous outings.

Mumbai, however, could not replicate such form when they faced Delhi Daredevils (DD) at the Feroz Shah Kotla and suffered a massive defeat, their 4th in the first five games.

Things really started clicking into gear for Mumbai when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) visited Wankhede and put up a really poor display with the bat; losing the game by 20 runs and helping the Indians kick start a 5-game winning run.

During that run, which saw them defeat the likes of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Rajasthan, Delhi, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai, Patel and Simmons got their team off to many a good start; Hardik Pandya impressed massively with the bat while coming in at No.5 and No.6 positions; Ambati Rayudu punched above his weight and played a couple of match-winning innings, and Kieron Pollard did his bit with the bat, too.

Malinga's bowling form has improved with each passing game

The bowling remained a bit of a worry still, but Lasith Malinga has got into his bowling groove as the season has progressed, and in Mitchell McClenaghan, he has found a solid new ball bowling partner, who, without a smidgen of doubt, has been the talismanic figure in Mumbai's season.

The MI team management has also been rewarded for their persistence with Jagadeesha Suchith, who continues to impress with his calmness and willingness to bowl during the mandatory powerplay overs. Harbhajan Singh, the lead spinner in the side, has been a tad inconsistent this season, though he played a starring role with the ball in Mumbai beating Chennai to the finals and will look to repeat such a performance tomorrow.

The impressive aspect about Mumbai's season has been the way they have kept getting stronger as the season has progressed; they have been the more consistent of the two finalists during the second half of this IPL season, and though they have had to work hard for their victories, Rohit and company will be confident ahead of tomorrow's showdown.

Going into tomorrow's game, they have had an extra three days than their opponents to prepare and acclimatize to the conditions in Kolkata and that will be of slight advantage to them.

Also, Mumbai don't have any particular weakness in their probable playing XI, while Chennai have at least a couple of chinks in their armor: the middle order has failed to perform consistently and it remains to be seen if their bowling attack can pick wickets against an in-form Mumbai batting lineup, even though they have two of their bowlers - Ashish Nehra and Dwayne Bravo - in the top three leading wicket-takers of the tournament so far.

Batting remains Mumbai's strongest suit, and the batsmen will have to play their parts well if their side is to trounce Chennai once more and this time, go onto lift the crown.

Chennai

The South Indian franchise started off its campaign with a narrow victory at home against Delhi, following it up with 5 more wins against the likes of Sunrisers, Kings XI, Knight Riders, Mumbai and Royal Challengers in the first half of the league phase, with their solitary defeat coming against Rajasthan at the Motera, Ahmedabad.

Their season has waned off, though, since exhibiting such imperious form, the kind that was bettered only by Rajasthan, winning a mere 4 from their next 9 fixtures, including the defeat to the Indians in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2015.

Dhoni has massively underachieved with the bat, not helping Chennai middle order's cause

The reason for such a massive dip in form, as aforementioned, has been down to their middle order's ineptitude to score runs throughout this season; it was the opening duo of Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith, who got their team off to quick, as well as solid, starts, giving Chennai the upper hand very early on in their games.

McCullum, who had 436 runs to his name from 14 innings when he left Chennai to join up with the national squad, was in imperious form with the bat and Dhoni's side fed off the New Zealand skipper's swashbuckling innings' at the top of the order.

However, on occasions when their openers, either one or both of them, fell cheaply, Chennai struggled and that is how Rajasthan inflicted CSK's first defeat of the season.

There were, however, a couple of games - against Delhi in their very first fixture of the campaign and Kolkata later on, both at the MA Chidambaram Stadium - in which their bowlers stepped up to the plate and bailed them out of trouble.

Going into the finals against Mumbai, it will be interesting to see if the Chennai batsmen improve their game and deliver the goods when it matters the most.

Their bowling attack is suited to the conditions in Kolkata, where the slower bowlers of Chennai can hold their own, giving them a sense of optimism ahead of tomorrow's showdown.

In Pawan Negi, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina, Dhoni has 4 spinning options that will not make it easy for Mumbai to score quick runs, especially with the hosts carrying many a stroke-maker - Simmons, Patel, Pollard, Rohit and Pandya - in their batting lineup; this will be one of the major subplots to tomorrow's game.

Bravo has been a vital cog in Chennai's bowling attack

Chennai, however, do need wickets with the new ball, which, if they manage, will put Mumbai seriously on the back foot.

Simmons and Patel are in sublime touch at the top of the order, but dismissing them early will bring in Rohit and Rayudu to the middle, the kind of scenario that will suit the away side and help them control the game better than they managed in the first qualifier.

Chennai may not be in the best of form, going into the final of the 8th edition of the IPL. But a good start, either with the bat or ball, will make them feel comfortable and neutralize whatever advantage the hosts have over them prior to that first ball.

Final Thought

Let us also not forget the significance the toss carries, purely because of the nature of the playing surface that is generally on the slower side, assists the spinners and the bowlers who like to vary the pace of their deliveries.

It will be interesting to see what the captain who wins the toss does. While batting first is generally the way to go when you play at the Eden Gardens, there has been an obtrusive change to that pattern this season: the chasing side has won 4 of the 6 games played at the venue, with KKR successfully chasing scores over 160 to win the game on three occasions and the Royal Challengers brilliantly chasing down 179 against the home side in another game during the early stages of this season.

MI vs CSK in the finals of IPL 2015, should be an intriguing match-up that will have the hosts start as favorites ahead of the game. Chennai won't be too far behind, but they need a good start to bridge the slight gap between them and Mumbai.

IPL 2015, Qualifier 1: Five Things We Learned From Mumbai Indians' Victory Over Chennai Super Kings

MI got the better of CSK once again, beating them for the 11th time overall

Mumbai Indians (MI) once again came out in flying colors against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who were comfortably beaten by 25 runs in Qualifier 1 of the 8th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Mumbai were actually the visitors for yesterday's game that took place at the Wankhede Stadium, where, over the years, they have been hard to beat, winning 65% of their games (40) played at this venue.

They have turned things around remarkably well during the last fortnight, and were probably the confident of the two sides ahead of the clash against the Super Kings.

Rohit Sharma won the toss, and had no hesitation in batting first, which has been their forte this season, winning 66% of their games (9) in which they have batted first.

Chennai's new ball bowlers - Ravichandran Ashwin and Ashish Nehra - started off well, giving nothing away to the Mumbai openers, who had to work really hard to garner even singles.

Things, however, changed quickly in the 5th over, which saw Ashwin come on for his 3rd and last over on the night, conceding 13 runs and getting Mumbai's innings started.

Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel started scoring boundaries from both ends, and shifted the pressure back onto MS Dhoni and his bowlers. Simmons, in particular, scored boundaries at will and batted with great flair against spinners, as well as the fast bowlers.

This duo once again laid a solid foundation for their side, and put on 90 for the first wicket before Parthiv fell to Dwayne Bravo, attempting to cross-bat a slower delivery over mid-wicket.

Mumbai, though, kept hitting the boundaries and maintained pressure on the Super Kings, who were not getting the wickets in a canter until very late in the first innings.

The visitors reached 135/2 by the end of 15th over, and looked likely to post a total close to 190. However, there was a shift in momentum after the strategic time-out, with the hosts taking 2/6 from overs 16 and 17, putting Mumbai in a real spot of bother.

The Indians, with Kieron Pollard striking it crisply, were still in with a chance of reaching somewhere over 170. They ended up with 187 on the board, a total that gave them real advantage.

They began their bowling innings in grandiose fashion, with Lasith Malinga dismissing Dwayne Smith, a former Mumbai Indian, in the very first over of Chennai's innings. It was a contentious decision made by Richard Illingworth, but it didn't matter for Mumbai.

Faf du Plessis walked in at No.3 ahead of Suresh Raina, and attacked the Mumbai bowlers from the beginning. The South African played a loose shot in the 4th over bowled by Vinay Kumar, who was unlucky to not have his scalp after being dropped at third-man by Malinga.

At the other end, Michael Hussey hit a couple of boundaries, but wasn't posing many problems to Rohit and co., who preferred bowling to the Western Australian.

Chennai, though, had to take the initiative of going after the MI bowlers, and when they did, it resulted in false strokes and fall of wickets. du Plessis held fort at one end, and got into a bit of partnership with Raina, who showed intent from the word go and struck a couple of beautiful sixes in his innings of 25 (20).

He, however, got out at the wrong time from CSK's perspective, with Harbhajan Singh also dismissing Dhoni in the very next delivery he bowled. The hosts quickly stumbled to 86/4 by the 11th over and Mumbai had the equation well under their control.

Chennai never managed to build partnerships after the fall of their skipper, with the likes of Bravo and Ashwin playing cameo innings' that weren't good enough for their side.

Malinga picked up a couple of wickets to bowl out Chennai in the 19th over, and help his side seal their spot in the Finals of IPL 2015, which will take place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 4 days time.

In hindsight, what did we learn from a clinical MI performance? Read on...

This game had a good ebb and flow to it

Right from the word go, this game felt like a big one, played by two very capable T20 sides.

Mumbai had a distinct advantage over Dhoni's devils, since they were playing in front of their home crowd and, most importantly, have been in good form during the latter stages of the ongoing season.

Chennai, on the other hand, have always thrived on occasions such as last night and were fully deserving of their place in the first qualifier.

Dhoni was very tactical in the way he utilized his new ball bowlers, as he not only tried to dry up the runs, but pick at least two Mumbai wickets in the powerplay itself.

There were a couple of edges - inside of Simmons' willow and outside of Parthiv' - that sped away to the boundary and frustrated the Chennai bowlers, who kept a lid on Mumbai until the 5th over of their innings.

From that point on until the end of the 15th over, however, Mumbai scored a whopping 113 runs for the loss of both their openers, to put themselves in a position of real strength.

Yesterday's game ebbed and flowed nicely, causing great intrigue for the neutrals

Chennai, though, came roaring back and bought a couple of wickets in the 16th and 17th over, to set MI back and enhance their chances of restricting the batting side to no more than 170.

They, however, were unsuccessful in their ambitions, letting Mumbai get up to 187 and face a massive proposition of chasing them down, even though there were no demons on the wicket and had the batting firepower to get the job done.

Malinga dismissed Smith early, and gave a head start to his side's bowling innings. That wicket didn't work in Mumbai's advantage, though, as du Plessis came out all guns blazing and started scoring boundaries from the outset.

Mumbai strung in some cheap overs in the first half of CSK's innings, but there were a few expensive ones too, with Raina and du Plessis threatening to take the game away from the visitors.

Victory for the visitors became certain once Harbhajan got two wickets - Raina and Dhoni - in the 11th over, and it became a no contest from then on.

But, for almost 3/4th of the game, there was so much of an ebb and flow to it, and from the neutrals' point of view, it was wonderful to see two sides compete so well in such a high profile IPL fixture.

Things went perfectly to plan for Mumbai

In the end, when Mumbai reflect on the game, it really couldn't have scripted itself better.

Batting first, as aforementioned, has been their forte this season, and they got to do just that after Rohit won the toss.

Simmons' 65 (51) set Mumbai on their way to posting a big total

Their openers got the team off to a solid start after surviving a few scary moments, and batted until the 11th over before Patel got out. It meant that the likes of Rohit, Pollard and Hardik Pandya, could come in and start playing their natural game right from the beginning.

In the last five overs of their innings, they scored only 52 runs despite the last three overs going for 46, and didn't really score as heavily as they have done on previous occasions this season. But still managed to get to a total - 187/6 - that they would have been happy with. 

When they came out to bowl, the onus was on them to pick early wickets and make the scoreboard pressure get onto the home side. 

They were lucky to dismiss Smith, but Mumbai never let CSK run away with the game, even when the likes of du Plessis and Raina played a few good shots and kept the required run-rate under control. Harbhajan's brilliant 11th over helped them get a firm grip on proceedings, and go onto win the game by a comfortable 25-run margin.

Therefore, Mumbai would be mighty pleased with their performance that was up to the mark on a big occasion like last night, and against a good Chennai side. 

Pollard's 41 (17) had a gargantuan impact on proceedings

The West Indian has been having a very good season, and he continued his good work in his side's demolition of Chennai.

He came into bat in the 14th over, which was the ideal scenario for him, as well as Mumbai, because of the fact that he would, in any way, have enough deliveries to catapult Mumbai to a total in excess of 180, at least.

He got in on the act straightaway, hitting a couple of sixes off Negi and pushing Mumbai's run-rate to 9 runs-per-over. The visitors then lost a couple of wickets - Rohit and Pandya - which made Pollard's presence in the middle even more significant.

Pollard played 'the' game-changing innings

He was batting on 17 from 9 balls when Bravo began the 18th over, in which Pollard hit a six and took a single from only the two deliveries he got to face. It turned out to be a 15-run over for the visitors, who suddenly went from 141/4 to 156/4 with two overs to go.

Mohit Sharma was in line to bowl the 19th over, which cost CSK 15 runs again: Pollard's presence in the middle put Mohit off his line, and the Haryana seamer bowled three wide deliveries and was taken for a six and four by the hard-hitting right-hander, who was playing an absolutely priceless innings for Mumbai.

In the final over the innings, bowled by compatriot Bravo, he once again forced the bowler into making unforced errors and also hit an utterly flat six, helping his side realize a mammoth 187/6 at the end of 20 overs.

Bravo, in particular, was difficult to get away because of his constant changing of pace, and no MI batsman, other than Pollard, was able to score a boundary from the all-rounder's bowling efforts yesterday.

Pollard's innings not only got the score to 187, but Chennai, going into the dressing room for the change over, would have been upset by the amount of runs (46) they conceded in the last three, after having Mumbai on the mat at 141/4 when the 18th over began.

That, for me, was the game changing aspect. Pollard was rewarded for that innings with the man-of-the-match award, which was well deserved.

Chennai's middle order needed to do more

The performance of Chennai's middle order has been nowhere close to good enough from the very beginning of the season.

Yesterday, chasing 188, it was all about them, unless Smith and Hussey got their team off to a prolific start and didn't lose a wicket until the halfway point of their innings.

That, however, didn't happen and Smith was wrongly adjudged leg-before by the umpire in the very first over of their innings.

In walked du Plessis, who steadied the ship and gave real impetus to CSK's innings. Hussey got out for 16 (11) in the 6th over, and someone like Raina had to stand up and play the long innings.

Harbhajan bowled the game-changing 11th over, dismissing Raina and Dhoni

He too started off well, and struck a couple of delightful sixes, but had to carry on and take the game forward for his side. Harbhajan bowled really well to dismiss him in the 11th over, which proved to be the match-deciding one that also saw Dhoni get out for a golden duck.

This has been a shocking IPL season with the bat for the Indian ODI skipper who, despite scoring 328 runs in 15 innings so far in the tournament, has had very little impact on his side while batting in that middle order.

Bravo replaced Dhoni, and took way too much time to settle down while the required run-rate was getting out of control.

du Plessis, in trying to get a move on at a crucial stage in the innings, got a leading edge while looking to loft Jagadeesha Suchith over long off, and ended up giving a catch to Vinay, the fielder at long-on.

Put together, the quartet of du Plessis, Raina, Dhoni and Bravo scored a mere 90 (70) and it proved to be a detriment to their side's chances of chasing down 188.

In hindsight, we probably got to commend Brendon McCullum for his heroics with the bat at the top of the order. He gave Chennai many a quick start and probably disguised the palpable weakness in the middle order; with him gone now, we are getting to see the original picture.

Rohit was astute in the way he juggled his bowling options

Rohit has every right to be proud of himself for his astuteness as a skipper

Rohit's captaincy stood out once again yesterday, when he superbly handled his bowling resources and brought the best out of them.

Malinga and McClenaghan started from either end, with the new ball, and the Sri Lankan quickie picked up the wicket of Smith in his very first over. McClenaghan had a poor day, and his first over on the night went for a whopping 17 runs; his outing didn't get any better thereafter, and finished with figures of 3-0-46-1.

Rohit didn't persist with the New Zealander, and brought on Vinay from his end for the 4th over of Chennai's innings.

The Karnataka Ranji skipper put in probably his best bowling performance of the season, and repaid the faith shown on him by the team management. He dismissed Hussey in the 6th over of the innings, and should have had du Plessis too a couple of overs earlier, if not for Malinga's drop at third-man.

Over the course of this season, we have seen Rohit utilize Suchith for a couple of overs in the mandatory powerplay. The scenario was different last night and Rohit, the skipper, was willing to adapt to the demands of it: Raina was batting at one end, and a left-hander usually favors facing the left-arm orthodox spinner, therefore, it was sensible from Rohit to hold him back.

That was one impressive aspect of his captaincy, as well as his choice of bowlers at various stages of CSK's innings.

Also, he let Harbhajan bowl from one end, and complete his 4 overs on the trot. It showed that Rohit meant business, and was going for the wickets instead of sitting back and letting the game run its course.

Mind you, such bowling changes and tactical decisions paid off superbly, and took Mumbai into the third IPL finals in their history.

Final Thought

It was a comprehensive performance from MI, who excelled in all three departments of the game.

A win against the Super Kings was also a good way to sign off from the Wankhede fortress, and get their minds firmly fixed on winning back the trophy that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) took it from them last year.

Mumbai must definitely be oozing with confidence, and should be comfortable taking on any of the three sides - Chennai, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) - in the grand IPL final this Sunday.

Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians: How The Indians Can Stop Super Kings From Roaring At The Lion's Den?

Mumbai has been the only IPL side to have gone toe-to-toe with Chennai over the years

Mumbai Indians (MI) face an away clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, in match 43 of this year's Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Super Kings have played to their pedigree this season too, dominating teams with a supreme brand of cricket and thriving on consistency in results; no wonder they are currently atop of the table and assured of a playoff spot.

The Indians, after suffering a calamitous start to their campaign with four straight defeats, have done well to register five wins from their next six games and give themselves a genuine chance of making it to the playoffs.

Mumbai have been the only IPL side that has gone toe-to-toe with CSK over the years, though they have failed to win any of their last four games including the ignominious 6-wicket defeat in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, against MS Dhoni's side.

Can they conjure up an unlikely victory tomorrow against the Super Kings, who are playing on another level compared to the rest of the IPL outfits? Read on...

Chennai

The Super Kings are one of the very few IPL sides that possess a wonderful blend of international stars and talented Indian players, who make up a significant 7 spots in their team's playing XI.

CSK's openers are the danger men as far as MI are concerned

The likes of Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Smith and Dwayne Bravo are devastating T20 players who have played to potential this time around too and been crucial to their side dominating the tournament until this point of the campaign.

McCullum, fresh from leading New Zealand into the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, has been impossible to bowl to and invariably provided his team with good starts at the top of the order.

He continues to play with so much confidence and no bowler has so far come up with an answer to his imperious approach to T20 batting.

Of late, though, the swashbuckling right-hander has struggled to kick on after getting off to starts and it has had a mitigating effect on his side, who, as a result, have not been able to post big totals or chase them down, like against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

McCullum is the leading run-scorer with 315 runs for the Super Kings, whose second highest scorer is Smith. The hard-hitting Caribbean opener has done well as a Super King after making the move from Mumbai last Indian summer.

Chennai's strength lies in the quick starts provided by their opening duo of McCullum and Smith, but the two-time IPL winners' middle-order, despite the presence of Suresh Raina, du Plessis and Dhoni himself, has surprisingly struggled to score runs this season.

Dhoni, in particular, has been woeful with the bat, struggling to rotate strike, getting bowled against medium pace bowlers and striking it at just 122 runs/100 balls, which, however, does not reflect how poor he has been.

Yes, both Dhoni and Raina have notched up over 200 runs each so far, however, when their side has been in a spot of bother, none of them have actually played a noteworthy innings. Such a pattern was palpable in their defeats, all of which have come away from home, against Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers this season.

It will be an area to target for tomorrow's visitors, who need to remind themselves that early wickets against CSK will give them a fair chance of winning the game.

Ashish Nehra has been in red-hot form with the ball this season

Coming to the bowling department, Ashish Nehra, without a shadow of doubt, has been in very good rhythm, bowling very good lines and lengths that have suffocated most batsmen from getting him away.

The left-arm seamer has been well backed up by Dwayne Bravo, who, with 16 wickets to his name, is a vital cog with the ball for CSK.

Mohit Sharma has continued from where he left off for India at the Cricket World Cup earlier in the year, though he has been a touch expensive and going at an economy rate of 8.6 runs-per-over.

Ravindra Jadeja has not been effective as in previous seasons, picking up just 5 wickets and conceding close to 8.5 runs-per-over.

Technically, he has become more round-armish and hence been quite easy for most batsmen to score runs off him while also feeling less threatened to be dismissed.

Ravichandran Ashwin's two-match absence has not affected his side from delivering results, as Pawan Negi has done well with the ball and as a lower order batsman. The home boy, however, is expected to recover in time for tomorrow's game.

Super Kings, as aforementioned, will look to set the tone early on in the innings, be it with the bat or ball.

They have got the personnel to wrest control of the game early on with quick runs or wickets, and will look to do exactly the same against what is actually proving to be a decent MI side that played poorly early on in the tournament.

Mumbai

The visitors come into this game on the back of four consecutive victories, which will have done their confidence a world of good.

They won their last fixture against Delhi Daredevils (DD) on Tuesday night, a victory that was crucial to keeping them in the hunt for making it to the playoffs, and will look to build on from the momentum they have gained recently.

The openers - Parthiv Patel and Lendl Simmons - have started delivering and been the cornerstone to their side's renaissance. Both the batsmen have been scoring runs recently and are in good touch ahead of this massive fixture.

Mumbai's middle order has had a lot of renovation done to it and simply hasn't look settled, with Rohit Sharma slotting himself at No.4 and Unmukt Chand predominantly being the No.3 batsman, who has failed to deliver.

Therefore, it is mighty important for Mumbai that Simmons and Parthiv get them off to a good start again, and thereby not put their middle order, comprising of free stroke-makers in Rohit and Kieron Pollard, in a catch-22 situation.

Rayudu has been instrumental to his side's recent victories

The form of Ambati Rayudu has simply been superb, with the Hyderabadi batsman playing two match-winning innings in his side's last three games: his 53 (27) against RR was flawless and helped his side post a formidable 187 on the board; against the Daredevils on Tuesday, boy, what a magnificent innings it turned out to be, under pressure?

At first he played second fiddle to Rohit when they were reeling at 40/4; he largely looked for singles and intended to give the strike back to the Mumbai batsman. Once Rohit was dismissed and MI were pushed into a tight corner, Rayudu's approach changed completely and he nonchalantly took his side over the line, with not much effort required from Pollard, who got himself a nice 14-ball 26.

Rayudu and Pollard getting runs should hold Mumbai in good stead, heading into the business end of the tournament that sees them face pivotal clashes against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and KKR after tomorrow night's game.

MI's bowling, along with their batting, has improved on its performance levels as the season has progressed, picking wickets, bowling economically and winning games for their side.

The drawback for MI is that Lasith Malinga will not be available for this game and, having returned to form with the ball, it is a massive hole to be filled for the visitors.

It will be interesting to see how they respond to that selection, and whether they look to strengthen the batting or give an outing to someone like Marchant de Lange, who has been warming the benches from game No.1.

Apart from that, Mitchell McClenaghan has been a crucial component in this MI revival that needs to keep going for the remaining 4 games if they are to make it to the last four.

The New Zealand seamer has picked up 9 wickets from 6 games and, apart from the last game when he got bludgeoned by Yuvraj Singh, added firepower to his side's bowling attack.

Harbhajan will hold the key to Mumbai's chances of winning

Harbhajan Singh had an impressive outing against DD after a couple of tough games with the ball, and the Turbanator will relish bowling at the Chepauk.

The form of Vinay Kumar and Jagadeesha Suchith - the Karnataka duo - has improved, as well, though it remains to be seen how they respond to the strong CSK batting lineup.

Like the hosts, the visitors will also depend on their new ball bowlers and opening batsmen to do their respective jobs well early on in the game, as that is where Dhoni's devils are at their strongest.

Final Thought

The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, given the kind of surface that gets prepared to invariably suit the home side, overwhelmingly favors the side batting first, meaning that the toss becomes rather indispensable and, in many ways, has an influence on the end result of the game.

Chennai will start as favorites for this fixture, but Mumbai, given their form over the last five games, will be a force to reckon with. 

IPL 2015, 39th Match Preview: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils

Mumbai Indians (MI) play host to Delhi Daredevils (DD) in the 39th match of the 8th edition of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL), looking to carry on the momentum they have gained over the last five games.

They go into tonight's game having registered two resounding victories over Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in their two previous fixtures, and should be high on confidence.

Daredevils, on the other hand, have not been consistent enough throughout this season, struggling to string three victories together so far in this campaign. They, however, would be keen to get back to winning ways after losing their last game against the Royals at the Brabourne Stadium, which marked the 500th game in IPL history.

The stakes for tonight's game are sure to be high, as both these teams are locked on 8 points after 9 games and a win here would see one of them move upwards on the IPL table by the end of today.

But which team is more equipped to outsmart the other? Is there scope for complacency in the hosts' camp? Can J-P Duminy weave his magic with the bat against Mumbai once again? Read on... to get answers to those puzzles.

Mumbai

Rohit Sharma's men have improved as a unit over the last five games, and the team management has to be credited for the return to form of their side.

Ricky Ponting and company have made it a point to stick with the same playing XI for 60% of their last five fixtures, and that trust has brought the very best out of the likes of Vinay Kumar, Jagadeesha Suchith and Parthiv Patel - who were the primary non-performers in the team not so long ago.

Mumbai's opening pair of Parthiv and Lendl Simmons, in particular, has got going as the season has progressed, putting up partnerships of over 30 runs at the top of the innings in five consecutive games.

With Parthiv and Simmons rendering a platform for the middle and lower-middle order to throw the kitchen sink during the latter stages of the innings, the Indians have been able to post totals in excess of 170 on three occasions in their last five games.

Simmons continues to hold Mumbai's batting together

They also have been fortunate to have got to bat first during their recent games, either after winning the toss and electing to do so or being put in by the opposing captain, and such a pattern has worked out nicely for them.

While the openers have found form lately, the engine room of their batting lineup, shouldered by Unmukt Chand, Rohit and Kieron Pollard, hasn't come to the party in recent games.

Ambati Rayudu, though, played an outstanding knock of 53(27) against the Royals, and the Hyderabadi batsman looks a confident player after that match-winning innings not so long ago.

Mumbai, in terms of how they could construct their batting innings, will look to be cautious upfront and have wickets for the second half of the innings. That tactic has worked for them recently, and there's no reason why they shouldn't stick to it.

Coming to their bowling, Lasith Malinga's return to form with the ball has given his side a major boost. The unorthodox Sri Lankan quickie has averaged 1.8 wickets per game over the last five matches, and also become more economical after getting a bit of tapping during the earlier phases of this ongoing season.

Mumbai's bowling form, along with Malinga's, has improved recently

Mitchell McClenaghan has done a terrific job for MI with the new ball, picking wickets and also bowling economically.

He, like Malinga, has taken 9 wickets in the 5 games he has played in the tournament so far. The New Zealand seamer was instrumental to his side defending totals of 157 and 187 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royals, respectively, as McClenaghan picked up 3-wicket hauls in both those games.

Harbhajan Singh has bowled well, though his wickets' column has dried up in recent games. The Turbanator has been well assisted by Suchith, who has done a good job while bowling inside the mandatory powerplay and in tying down the likes of David Miller the other day against the Kings XI.

Vinay has bowled economically in recent games and needs to carry on in that mould, as the season reaches its business end. Rohit also has to be credited for the way he has utilized the bowlers, and restricting Mumbai's opponents from running away with the game at any stage during their innings'.

Going into tonight's game, MI cannot afford to slip up, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) awaiting them in a couple of days time. Getting to 10 points today would mean that they get themselves closer to the current top four and enhance their chances of making it to the last four even more.

They, in a game of this magnitude, cannot afford to be complacent and got to continue doing the same things that have paid dividends lately.

MI's weak link has still got to be their bowling; looking beyond the trio of Malinga, McClenaghan and Harbhajan, there is still a bit of uncertainty over Vinay and Suchith's ability to deliver when the pressure cooker is on but, as long as the batting comes good, Mumbai will be in with a shout tonight and in the games to follow.

Delhi

Tonight's visitors have been striving for consistency until this point of their campaign, but have yet to manage it.

Looking at the playing XI they have put out game after game, you would think that they have a wonderful balance to their lineup, but the big guns in the batting department, barring Duminy, haven't delivered and that aspect has been the major drawback of their season so far.

Someone like Yuvraj Singh, who you expect to come good in this format of the game, has struggled, reason for which has also got to be with the surface at the Feroz Shah Kotla. But the southpaw's tally of 146 runs from 8 innings simply does not reflect the caliber of personnel we are talking about.

With the likes of Yuvraj and Angelo Mathews not making significant contributions with the bat in the middle order, the top three of Mayank Agarwal, Shreyas Iyer and Duminy himself, have had to shoulder the responsibility of the entire batting lineup.

Iyer and Duminy, in particular, have done a fantastic job, scoring 290 and 276 runs, respectively, and are up there amongst the top 10 run-scorers so far in the tournament. Agarwal, with 213 runs to his name in 8 innings, has done a good job opening the batting with Iyer.

Albie Morkel did so well for his side in their very first game against Super Kings, who only narrowly won that game after the all-rounder's inspired effort of 73 (55) with the bat. But the South African has not got a look in after that game, which is outrageous really.

Yes, they have persevered with Mathews and been hoping that the Sri Lankan comes good. But despite not making a single half-century in 7 innings so far, he has simply been struck with, and it seems like Delhi have become oblivious to Morkel.

In order for them to progress in the tournament, their batting has to come good sooner than later. Saurabh Tiwary played a good innings of 28 (14) against the Royals a couple of days back, and Delhi would be hoping that he continues from he left off last Sunday.

Delhi will depend on their bowling to win tonight's fixture against Mumbai

Looking ahead to their bowling attack, Zaheer Khan announced his arrival in grandiose fashion by picking 2/17 from his 4 overs in his very first game of the season against KXIP.

Zaheer will relish bowling at the Wankhede, which is his home ground and where he plays for Mumbai Ranji team, and it will be one of the aspects to look forward to, as far as today's clash between Mumbai and Delhi is concerned.

Nathan Coulter-Nile has been the leader of Daredevils' bowling attack, having played all their games this season and averaging 1 wicket per game in 9 outings so far.

In the spin department, Imran Tahir and Amit Mishra have played 8 and 9 games, respectively, so far this season and haven't been bad at all.

Tahir has had a magnificent IPL so far

The South African leg-spinner, in fact, is the fifth highest wicket-taker with 13 wickets so far and he has been superbly backed up by Mishra picking 7 wickets at an economy rate of less than 8 runs-per-over.

Tahir missed his side's last game and made way for Gurinder Sandhu, the New South Wales speedster, but don't be surprised if the 36-year old comes back to the playing XI for tonight's game.

Going into today's game against MI, Delhi will bank on their bowling to keep Mumbai batsmen to a score of not more than 150.

Therefore, today's tussle will, in all probability, be about Delhi's bowling against the hosts' batting lineup, and whichever side performs to its strengths should come out on top.

Final Thought

Mumbai, on current form, will start as favorites for this game. But the beauty of the T20 format is such that the underdog is always capable of springing a surprise.

This, as aforementioned, is a massive contest in determining which of these two sides enhances its chances of making it to the last four and that pressure will surely be evident on both Mumbai and Delhi.

IPL 2015: Five Things We Learned From Mumbai Indians' Victory Over Kings XI Punjab

Mumbai Indians (MI) registered their 4th win of this season's Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL), and the third win on the trot, as they comfortably defeated a demoralized Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) side by 23 runs and got themselves up to 8 points on the IPL table.

Rohit Sharma, as he did in the last couple of games, won the toss against George Bailey's Kings XI and had no hesitation in batting first on what was a two-paced track.

The visitors were unchanged from the side that played and won against Rajasthan Royals (RR), while the hosts made four changes to the side that lost by 9 wickets to Delhi Daredevils (DD): Murali Vijay came in for Manan Vohra; Glenn Maxwell replaced Shaun Marsh; Karanveer Singh came in place of Shardul Thakur and Mitchell John replaced Thisara Perera.

The Mumbai openers - Parthiv Patel and Lendl Simmons - as they have been doing in recent games, got the team off to a terrific start, putting up a partnership of 111 for the first wicket, before Parthiv perished.

The visitors, however, couldn't pile on the runs thereafter, and the likes of Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard and even the well set Simmons, found it hard to score boundaries towards the latter stages of the MI innings.

The Kings XI bowlers also need to be credited for the way they came back into the game and bowled those yorkers at will, to tie down the visitors' batsmen who can be so hard to stop normally.

Mumbai finished with 172/3 at the end of 20 overs - a score that would not have satisfied them after the kind of start they had made, even though it got harder to bat as the innings wore on.

MI's bowlers needed to strike early after their batsmen failed to post a total close to 200, and they responded brilliantly, with Lasith Malinga removing Virender Sehwag in the first ball of his spell and all other bowlers chipping in with wickets and economical overs throughout the hosts' innings.

It was yet another comprehensive victory that not only would have boosted MI's confidence even more, but has also given them a realistic chance of being involved in the playoffs.

In hindsight, what did we learn from that Mumbai performance? Read on...

Punjab's new ball bowlers played it into Mumbai's hands

Mumbai have had this perennial problem of not being able to find a solid opening pair, and that has continued this season too, except for the last 5 games in which Parthiv and Simmons have really put their best foot forward.

Prior to the game I felt Punjab needed to pick up early wickets and get into that shaky Mumbai middle-order as quickly as possible.

Anureet Singh and Sandeep Sharma were all over the place, to start off with

However, Sandeep Sharma and Anureet Singh, bowlers who have done well so far this season, failed to make a disciplined start and both the Mumbai openers cashed in on the freebies Punjab bowlers provided them with.

Mumbai's score kept soaring with each passing over and, before Kings XI managed to stem the flow of runs, the damage had been done by as early as the 10th over.

Erratic bowling from the Punjab bowlers to start off with benefited Mumbai immensely and it also meant that the visitors, despite scoring just 62 runs off the last 8 overs, still managed to put up a competitive total on the board.

Parthiv played an absolute gem of a knock

The wicket-keeper batsman has had his fair share of criticism for not converting the good starts he usually makes while opening the innings, not only this year but also in previous seasons with various franchises.

This season, he has been continuing that bad habit of getting dismissed after making good starts to his innings' and playing himself in during the initial overs. Before yesterday, his highest score for the season was a mere 28 and he, more than anyone else, would have been disappointed at his own performances.

Parthiv's innings was absolutely magnificent

However, there was definite spunk about the way he approached his innings, picking the right balls to hit and emphasizing on timing his shots, rather than looking to hit the ball hard.

His first scoring short of the evening was a crisply struck cover-drive that sped away to the boundary. It was a magnificent way to start off the innings but, in Parthiv's case, it was not something we haven't seen before. The question, therefore, was whether he could carry on yesterday, and he did, finally.

The diminutive southpaw really got going in the 5th over of the innings, which was delivered by Johnson who conceded 15 off his first over, including a six and a couple of boundaries to Parthiv, who really was in his zone.

Once he got into a free-scoring rhythm, Parthiv didn't slow down and instead assumed the role of the aggressor in the partnership between him and Simmons, being assured in his approach and playing pure cricketing shots.

He got out trying to hit a six in the 13th over of innings, holding out to deep square leg after playing a good pick up shot off his pads.

His innings of 59 (36), punctuated by five 4s and three 6s, was an absolute delight to watch and proved significant in the overall context of the game, as other Mumbai batsmen, including the well set Simmons, found it really hard to score runs in the last third of the innings.

Mumbai's bowling attack just keeps getting better

MI's bowling was probably their weakest suit not so long ago. However, they have turned it around so quickly after ignominiously failing to defend a competitive score of 184 against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium earlier this season.

The addition of Mitchell McClenaghan has helped, obviously, with the New Zealand seamer picking wickets and keeping things tight when he is not dismissing batsmen.

Let us also not forget his match-winning spells of 4-0-20-3 and 4-0-31-3 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Royals, respectively, in back-to-back games that started off this revival for Mumbai.

Malinga's bowling too has improved as the season has progressed, and the Sri Lankan quickie has become really accurate with his yorkers and slower deliveries over the last couple of games. Mumbai will especially be delighted with the form of Malinga, who has been their talisman over the years in the IPL.

Mumbai's bowling attack has pulled up its socks as the season has progressed

Against the Kings XI, it was a very good performance from the entire Mumbai bowling attack, as every specialist bowler performed his trade very well and made it hard for the hosts' batsmen to score runs freely.

It was particularly pleasing to see Jagadeesha Suchith and Vinay Kumar bowl economically and not disrupt the good work done by the trio of Malinga, Harbhajan Singh and McClenaghan.

The decision to stick with the playing XI is reaping the desired rewards

Over the course of the last five games, 4 of which have been won by Mumbai, something or the other has not looked right and we have asked ourselves why the team management has been hesitant to make changes to the playing XI.

The likes of Vinay, Unmukt Chand and even Parthiv, prior to yesterday, didn't make major contributions to the team's cause and the other players, therefore, had to shoulder the majority of the responsibility.

It has been much more of a team effort in the last couple of games

However, against the Kings XI, it was definitely a team effort, with all 11 men contributing either with the bat, ball, or on the field, taking a catch or stopping a boundary.

Vinay took a very good catch to dismiss Maxwell, and probably bowled his best spell - 3-0-17-0 - so far this season.

Chand didn't get to bat, but took a good running catch to dismiss Vijay. And as far as he is concerned, we definitely need to say that the team management, despite being let down by the youngster on occasions already this season, continues to believe and persevere in this individual.

Like Vinay and Chand, persevering with Parthiv also paid dividends yesterday.

The credit has to be the given to the team management for their nous and belief they have shown in their players.

MI need to keep their heads down

MI produced a terrific all-round display against Punjab, which arguably is the best they have done so far this season.

However, having said that, the caliber of today's opponents also needs to be taken into account and, honestly, Kings XI are nowhere near the kind of the side they were last season, as was admitted by Sanjay Bangar, the KXIP coach, midway through his side's innings.

Mumbai definitely deserve the points and credit for their performance yesterday, but I feel that they weren't pushed enough by Punjab, to assess themselves as a unit.

MI need to refocus immediately

Rohit's men have kept getting better as the season has progressed, but they have far bigger challenges to come and need to refocus immediately.

Final Thought

Mumbai are up against the Daredevils next, and they will be playing J-P Duminy's side at the Wankhede fortress.

The Indians will be relatively confident of repeating yesterday's performance against KXIP, but the result of tomorrow's game will have far greater repercussions on both sides' chances of making it to the playoffs.

Mumbai, therefore, will be under greater pressure than yesterday, enabling us to get a better idea of how improved they are as a unit.

Indian Premier League 2015, 32nd Match Preview: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals

Mumbai batsmen, starting with Rohit, need to pull up their socks

Mumbai Indians (MI) kick start their second phase of this season's Pepsi Indian Premier League with a home game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Friday.

Mumbai are yet to post back-to-back victories this season, and will be looking to do just that when the Royals travel to the Wankhede Stadium tomorrow.

The Royals, on other hand, come into this game on the back of two washed out fixtures, including yesterday's against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and may just be feeling a bit desperate to play a full game.

These two sides produced a humdinger in the corresponding fixture at the Wankhede last season, and with the race for top 4 intensifying with each passing game; could we be in for another exhilarating contest?

Read on...as we get an understanding of how the sides stack up against each other, heading into tomorrow night's encounter.

Mumbai

MI's victories this season have come while they have batted first and put up competitive totals on the board.

Lendl Simmons starred with half-centuries in his side's victories against RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and, just as it was season, is a vital cog in this stuttering Mumbai outfit.

Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard have been the two other MI batsmen to have made substantial contributions, with each one of them scoring over 200 runs so far in the tournament.

Although the aforementioned trio will once again hold the key against the Royals, the likes of Unmukt Chand, Parthiv Patel and Ambati Rayudu, if they play, ought to stand up and score runs for the team.

Chand, in particular, needs to score runs, as his tally of 89 runs from 4 innings, including a half-century against the Royal Challengers, doesn't reflect his potential and batting position (No.3) in the side.

If he comes good with the bat, not only will Mumbai score a lot more runs as a batting unit, but the likes of Pollard and Rohit, who are the power-hitters in the side, can play carefree cricket which will only bring the best of them.

The bowling attack has also failed to deliver except for one game against Sunrisers, who couldn't chase down a mere 158 in MI's last game.

Lasith Malinga, however, found some form in that game, picking up 4 wickets, and was tremendously backed up by Mitchell McClenaghan, who picked up 3 wickets himself.

Harbhajan Singh, despite having a poor outing against SRH, is the second highest wicket-taker, behind Malinga's 10, with 8 wickets under his belt so far. Harbhajan has also made crucial runs with the bat in certain games, and will be crucial to MI's success during the second phase of this season.

The trio of Malinga, McClenaghan and Harbhajan are certainties in Mumbai's playing XI, but which two bowlers complete the 5-man bowling attack Ricky Ponting and Rohit covet?

Jagadeesha Suchith bowled well in the win over SRH and exudes a calm head on his shoulders. If I was part of the team management, I would stick with him, solely on the basis of his performance in the last game.

Vinay Kumar, having taken just 1 wicket in 5 games and conceding close to 8 runs per over, is the weak link as far as Mumbai's bowling attack is concerned.

The alternatives for Vinay - Jasprit Bumrah, Pawan Suyal, Shreyas Gopal - haven't done well whenever they have been given chances, so it will be a tricky decision for the team management to take. But the Karnataka seamer, without a shadow of doubt, is the weak link in the bowling department.

Going into this game, I have no doubt that the batting lineup has to step up and deliver. The bowling attack, despite the presence of Malinga, McClenaghan and Harbhajan, remains Mumbai's weakest point, and looks likely to only feed off big totals set by the batsmen.

Rajasthan

The Royals are the team to have played the most games (9) already this season.

They won their first five games and had that invincibility about them, as they bulldozed the likes of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi Daredevils (DD) and Mumbai - teams that couldn't stand up to the might of Rajasthan.

Two of Royals' last four games have been washed out

The last four games, however, haven't gone to plan, as they lost in the super over to the Kings XI and were handed a thrashing at the Motera by Virat Kohli and company. Those two defeats have been followed by two washouts, keeping RR win-less for four games now.

The Royals though, unlike Mumbai, do not have major problems concerning them.

Ajinkya Rahane, their opening batsman, is the Orange Cap holder with 323 runs under his belt.

Though the other batsmen haven't exactly played to potential so far, their contributions - even if for one game - helped Rajasthan win the games in which they fired with the bat.

Steve Smith, despite having scored just 172 runs in 7 innings so far, engineered his side to victory with a 53-ball 79 against Mumbai when these sides met at the Motera earlier this season.

Shane Watson, in his very first game of the season, scored a 47-ball 73 to guide his side to an 8-wicket victory over CSK.

However, the Royals' middle-order packed with exuberant Indian talents in Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda and Karun Nair, has yet to fire, and it could be one area for Mumbai to exploit the visitors tomorrow. Pick early wickets and get a stranglehold of the game, is what the hosts will be telling themselves right now.

Coming to the Royals' bowling, Pravin Tambe, the 44-year old leg-spinner, is the leading wicket-taker with 8 wickets to his name.

However, the likes of Tim Southee, James Faulkner, Dhawal Kulkarni and Watson himself, make up a good bowling attack that will fancy its chances under lights at the Wankhede.

Compared to Mumbai, Rajasthan look a well-balanced side, even though they too have a few weaknesses in their arsenal.

Also, having gone win-less in 4 games, there could be a smidgen of apprehension in the Royals' ranks, meaning that MI will be in with a shout if they play to potential.

Possible playing XIs

Mumbai: R Sharma (C), P Patel (WK), L Simmons, U Chand, K Pollard, A Rayudu, Hardik Pandya, H Singh, L Malinga, M McClenaghan and J Suchith.

Rajasthan: S Watson (C), A Rahane, S Smith, D Hooda, K Nair, Stuart Binny, S Samson (WK), J Faulkner, T Southee, P Tambe and D Kulkarni.

Final Thought

Aditya Tare was the hero in the corresponding fixture last season

Mumbai are yet to produce one comprehensive display in the 7 games they have played so far. From the Indians' perspective, it is now or never time for them and it remains to be seen whether they are up for this crunch situation.

Rajasthan are in second place on the table and do not have the kind of pressure their Friday's opponents are under. That could give them the edge over tomorrow's hosts.

This should be an intriguing fixture; but Rajasthan, with a more-balanced look to their side, start as favorites for this encounter at the Wankhede tomorrow.

Indian Premier League: Five Talking Points From Mumbai Indians' Victory Over Sunrisers Hyderabad

Mumbai Indians' bowling, spearheaded by Malinga, came good yesterday

Mumbai Indians (MI) registered their second win of this season's Indian Premier League (IPL), as they comfortably overcame an ordinary Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) side by 20 runs at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday.

Rohit Sharma chose to bat first after winning the toss, but his side could manage only 157/8, which was a below par score on a pitch that was on the slower side.

In reply, Sunrisers got off to a blistering start, with Shikhar Dhawan striking boundaries at will and taking the attack to Harbhajan Singh in particular, as the visitors raced to 50 well within the powerplay which, however, accounted for both the Sunrisers' openers.

Mumbai started growing in confidence at the fall of Dhawan for 42, as they succeeded in choking up the runs while also picking wickets at regular intervals, eventually going onto win the game by 20 runs.

In retrospect, what did we learn from that MI performance which... well, was good enough on the day?

MI still cannot get their team combination right

Prior to the game, I felt that the 1-time IPL winners needed a fresh opening pair. Parthiv Patel, who is experiencing a below-par IPL season with the bat, isn't the kind of batsman who will give you blistering starts at the top of the innings.

Having been handed a 5th consecutive opportunity in the playing XI, the diminutive southpaw scored a run-a-ball 17, failing to rotate strike and not playing the ideal foil for Lendl Simmons.

Also, in the bowling department, the selection of Vinay Kumar, who had picked up just 1 wicket and an economy rate of over 8 in the 4 games prior to yesterday, was inexplicable. The decision to sacrifice a batsman (Hardik Pandya) in order to make space for a bowler was not wrong, but the choice of replacement was definitely not the right one.

Jagadeesha Suchith, who replaced Jasprit Bumrah, bowled well and played a significant role in Mumbai getting a stranglehold of proceedings during the middle stages of the visitors' innings.

Fortuitously for the home side, none of their selection blunders cost them yesterday.

Mumbai's approach to their batting innings was plain cynical

Rohit, at the toss, said that his side would be cautious upfront, not lose wickets and pull the trigger during the latter stages of their innings.

Having not got off to good starts so far in the season, it was probably a sensible approach, which was executed to perfection by both the Mumbai openers.

However, the Indians left themselves with too much to do in the second-half of their innings. They reached 72/2 at the end of 10 overs and had Simmons and Rohit in the middle, but the nature of the surface was such that it got harder to score runs as the ball got older and older, a pattern that Rohit was well aware of before the game.

In addition to the slow playing surface on offer, Mumbai had to contend with a good Sunrisers' bowling attack that did not have a weak link in it, and on their own, they were a batsman short.

Taking these aspects into consideration, it was tough to understand why Mumbai took the defensive approach at the beginning of the innings, and found themselves way behind the eight ball going into the last 10 overs.

Simmons' form is a major positive

The Caribbean opener came up with a well-compiled knock of 51(42) that, in a way, held the innings together.

Simmons' 51(42) was crucial in the context of the game

On a slow surface it was crucial for the hosts that one batsman anchored the innings, which Simmons did.

When Dale Steyn dismissed the right-hander, Mumbai had reached 100/3 after 12.3 overs but could muster a mere 57 off the remaining 45 deliveries, highlighting the significance of the 30-year old's innings at the top of the order.

In the coming games, Simmons' form will be crucial to Mumbai's chances of surging upwards in the league table. With Rohit slotting himself at No.4, MI need a batsman, who can score quick runs and also face a good portion of the team's 20 overs, at the top of the order.

Simmons suffered an injury on his right leg while trying to stop a boundary, and went off the field with 5-6 overs to go. The Indians would be hoping that he is fit to play for them against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on May Day.

The bowling lineup came good...finally

Though the batting unit hasn't really delivered except for one game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the bowling attack has had some serious questions asked of it.

With the batting unit once again failing to put up a decent score on the board, the onus was on MI's bowling to come up with a match-winning effort, and Lasith Malinga and co. did just that.

Harbhajan had a disappointing outing, conceding easy boundaries to Dhawan, who accrued 18 runs off the Turbanator's second over. Though the off-spinner came back well in his last two overs, he ended up conceding 36 off his 4 overs.

Mitchell McClenaghan and Malinga were the standout bowlers, who picked up 7 wickets between them and conceded a mere 43 runs in their 8 overs.

McClenaghan, in particular, bowled very well and dismissed some of the key SRH batsmen - Dhawan, K Lokesh Rahul and Ravi Bopara - at various stages during the innings.

Malinga took 3 wickets in his last over, and also accounted for David Warner at the beginning of Sunrisers' innings.

Suchith bowled an economic four over spell that was taken for only 25 runs, with Naman Ojha also getting out to the Karnataka spinner.

Mumbai Indians cannot read too much into their victory yesterday

It wouldn't be unfair of any of us to say that MI were a tad lucky to register their second win of this IPL season. 

The batting unit did not put up even a competitive score on the board, with Simmons and Kieron Pollard being the only batsmen who, with scores of 51 and 33 respectively, gave some respectability to the MI innings. 

And although the bowling attack delivered a good performance when it was needed the most, Sunrisers, once the duo of Warner and Dhawan got out, didn't even have one good batsman, who could have given the MI bowlers something to think about, in their middle and lower middle order.

Mumbai are yet to get their playing XI right too, meaning that they cannot be overly buoyant with the result yesterday.

There is plenty of work to be done.

Final Thought

With 5 more days to go before Mumbai face Rajasthan at the Wankhede Stadium, Ricky Ponting and company would be pleased about the victory last evening.

MI probably do not possess a quality squad like the Chennai Super Kings's or the Kings XI Punjab's. But, if they can get the balance of their playing XI spot on and build on from yesterday's victory over the Sunrisers, it would not be beyond them to make it to the playoffs for the sixth season running. 

Indian Premier League (IPL): Can The Mumbai Indians Get Their Act Together Against Sunrisers Hyderabad?

Rohit has to continue performing with the bat for the Mumbai Indians

After playing two back-to-back away games, Mumbai Indians (MI) will return to their fortress, the Wankhede Stadium, to take on the mercurial Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) later today.

The Indians' only victory of the campaign came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), which was a closely contested battle at the Chinnaswamy Stadium where the visitors that day did well to pile on an impressive 209 on the board and followed it up with a decent bowling effort to restrict the Challengers to 191, going on to win the game by 18 runs.

Mumbai have been overwhelmed in each of their other 5 games, as they just haven't been able to deliver with either the bat, ball or on the field.

However, having said that, the likes of Harbhajan Singh, skipper Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard have come good on occasions during this campaign and will hope to contribute to the team's cause once again against the Sunrisers.

More than the individual performances, from MI's perspective: the question is whether everyone in that playing XI can contribute in some way or another, starting today against SRH? Read on... as we try to discern what the 1-time IPL winners need to do in order to get their second win of the campaign.

The foremost concern for the Indians going into today's game will be the nature of the playing surface at the Wankhede: benign, good for batting and not really bowler-friendly. Though MI's batting has flattered to deceive, except for one game against RCB, it is their bowling that has let them down more than their batting.

MI bowlers need to dislodge the Warner-Dhawan duo quickly

Sunrisers do not possess too many hard-hitting batsmen in their arsenal, except for the duo of Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner. However, both these men are in very good form, scored half-centuries in their side's last game against the Kolkata Knight Riders and will be licking their lips ahead of the clash against Mumbai.

Considering the palpable weaknesses in the bowling department and that this is a 4.00 PM start, Rohit should have no hesitation in batting first, if he wins the toss.

I thought that it was a mistake on the MI skipper's part to decide to bowl first against the Delhi Daredevils (DD), who piled on 190 on the board and took the game away from Mumbai. Therefore, toss, from MI's perspective, will be critical to their chances of winning this game.

Team Combination

Ricky Ponting and company ought to get their team combination totally spot on. Ambati Rayudu hasn't done much while batting in that No.6 and No.7 positions, and I don't think he can render much if he is persisted with at that position. Can he open? There are better options than him.

Rayudu, therefore, ideally should make way for a bowler, preferably Shreyas Gopal, who knows how to bat and is a good leg-spinner, too.

The other change I would make to the playing XI is that of Parthiv Patel. The wicket-keeper batsman has failed to harness his opportunity at the top of the order and, with a top score of 28 in 4 games, deserves to make way for Aditya Tare, who can be a dangerous middle-order batsman.

Batting Order

There should be no messing about with Lendl Simmons' place at the top of the order, but, who should partner him?

Unmukt Chand has to be promoted to the top of the MI batting order

Unmukt Chand has looked good during his last two outings against RCB and DD, and it would be a no brainer to get him to open the innings, making space for Rohit Sharma, who is arguably the team's best batsman, at No.3. That top 3, hopefully, should augur well for the Indians.

MI shouldn't be flustered by who bats at No.4, as it will all depend on how the top three perform. Rohit's best position is at No.3, as he can then play the anchor role for the team and have other batsmen play around him.

If all goes well, Pollard should walk in at No.4, a position that might even give him some time to settle in before going for extravagant strokes. The Caribbean dasher will obviously be followed by Hardik Pandya who, with his cameo innings of 16 from 4 balls against the Royal Challengers, showed that he can render quick runs with the bat and should, in all possibility, go in at No.5

Tare at No.6 will be a good option for the stuttering Mumbai Indians, who need their batsmen to deliver the goods while the bowling remains a major worry.

Bowling

The addition of Gopal will add more potency to the MI bowling attack, as the Karnataka leg-spinner will be a good foil for Harbhajan, who has toiled away as the solitary spinner in the side for much of this campaign.

The addition of another spinner to the bowling attack will also mean that Lasith Malinga, who has taken 6 wickets in 6 games so far this campaign, need not necessarily be brought on during the middle stages of the opposition's innings.

Jasprit Bumrah will look to comeback strongly after his no-show against the Daredevils on Thursday, when he bowled a lot of short-pitched deliveries that were dealt with severely by JP Duminy and Shreyas Iyer.

Mitchell McClenaghan needs to get more consistent and not be satisfied with just bowling well in patches.

Final Thought

The aforementioned blueprint should be the way to go for the two-time CLT20 winners, who cannot afford to lose today's game that could all but end their chances of making it to the playoffs.

The bowling remains 'the' biggest worry as far as MI are concerned, and today's result might just hinge on their bowling performance because of the nature of the wicket at the Wankhede Stadium.