Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan hailed Rohit Sharma for marshalling his troops well despite missing some of the key players. Rohit also received plaudits for the way he lead his team in IPL 2023 because no one really counted the five-time champions as favourites in the competition after a shaky start.
Akash Madhwal’s sizzling maiden five-wicket haul (5/5), a collection of impactful batting cameos coupled with an electric fielding performance helped Mumbai Indians beat Lucknow Super Giants by 81 runs in the Eliminator and cruise into Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2023. Impactful attacking cameos from Cameron Green (41 off 23), Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 20), Tilak Varma (26 off 22) and Impact Player Nehal Wadhera (23 off 12) propelled Mumbai Indians to a competitive 182/8. Akash Madhwal then took the centrestage on the big stage with a lethal spell of 5/5 to rip through LSG’s batting order as the Krunal Pandya-led side succumbed under pressure to get bowled out for 101 which included three run-outs.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Irfan Pathan said, “Rohit Sharma has delivered once again for Mumbai Indians. He was faced with a crisis at the start of the competition when key pacer Jasprit Bumrah was out. Jofra Archer struggled with his form and fitness but this captain marshalled his troops well. He first guided MI to the eliminator and then took his team to the Qualifiers with his astute captaincy.” The stage is set for the much-awaited Qualifier 2 in the IPL 2023 after Mumbai Indians booked the seat with their comprehensive win over Lucknow Super Giants in Eliminator. The five-time IPL champions will lock horns with the defending champions in the penultimate match of this season. Both teams who are lined up with potential match-winners will be raring to win and set up the summit clash with Chennai Super Kings on Sunday (May 26). Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh claimed Mumbai Indians are such a force in this tournament because of a captain like Rohit, who is very approachable as a skipper.