3 player battles to watch out for in MI vs LSG, Match 45 of IPL 2025 ft. Jasprit Bumrah

Mumbai Indians (MI) are set to play Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the second time in IPL 2025, this time at their home ground - the Wankhede Stadium - on Sunday, April 27. LSG beat MI earlier this season when the two sides met in Lucknow.

The last time MI and LSG squared off turned out to be a high-scoring game. Lucknow posted 203/8 in 20 overs before restricting the visitors to 191/5 in the second innings. But MI have a newfound momentum heading into their upcoming encounter, and will be looking for revenge.

While LSG are coming on the back of a loss from their previous clash against Delhi Capitals (DC), MI have bagged four wins on the trot and will be aiming to add another to their kitty.

On that note, here’s looking at three player battles that could decide the fate of the game:

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#3 Suryakumar Yadav vs Ravi Bishnoi

MI’s middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav has been in good form of late, having contributed well in the team’s recent streak of wins. He scored 68* and 40* in MI’s last two outings against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), respectively, and will look to carry the same momentum against LSG.

Ravi Bishnoi will have the onus to derail his momentum in the middle overs. The spinner has dismissed the Indian T20I skipper thrice in eight innings in the shortest format. Having faced 45 deliveries against the LSG spinner, Surya has scored 63 runs.

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#2 Rishabh Pant vs Trent Boult

Rishabh Pant hasn’t met the team’s expectations this year, with several poor outings. In nine games for LSG, he has scored just one half-century (vs CSK), while getting dismissed for single-digit scores five times so far this season, including two ducks.

Trent Boult, meanwhile, is in top form and is coming on the back of a Player of the Match performance against SRH, where he picked a four-wicket haul. Against Pant, Boult has performed brilliantly, allowing him to score just 15 runs in 21 deliveries. In the upcoming contest, the Kiwi will look to claim the wicketkeeper-batter’s wicket for the first time in T20s.

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#1 Nicholas Pooran vs Jasprit Bumrah

Nicholas Pooran’s top run of form saw a sudden decline, and he has struggled to get going in the last three outings. After back-to-back half-centuries, Pooran has registered figures of 8, 11, and 9 in his previous three innings.

One bowler who has done a good job of restricting Pooran’s power-hitting in the past is Jasprit Bumrah, and the MI pace spearhead would look to continue the same. In 18 deliveries of five innings, Pooran has managed to score only 13 runs while falling prey to Bumrah twice.

Notably, Bumrah is just one wicket away from becoming the leading wicket-taker for MI in the IPL.