In search of their elusive first points this season, Mumbai Indians (MI) will lock horns with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in match 24 of the ongoing IPL 2022. The match will be played at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai today (April 16).
The Rohit Sharma-led unit will enter the field having lost all five of their matches so far in the competition. This series of losses has equalled their longest losing streak in the IPL. They had lost their first five fixtures in the 2014 edition of the IPL also.
LSG, on the other hand, have seen a mixed bag of results so far. Winning three of their five games, the newly-formed franchise sits fifth in the league standings with six points to their name.
The pitch at the Brabourne Stadium has looked like a belter of a wicket. Any score seems chaseable if wickets are kept in hand. With an average first innings total of 191 at this particular ground this season, the MI vs LSG game is expected to be a high-scoring encounter.
On that note, we take a shot at predicting three batters who might score the most runs in today's evening game between Mumbai and Lucknow in IPL 2022.
#3. Quinton De Kock (LSG)
Leading the scoring charts between both teams, Quinton De Kock has piled up 188 runs at a strike rate of 132.4 in five games so far. His contributions of 61 and 80 against Chennai and Delhi, respectively, played a major role in fashioning his team's wins in those matches.
With a depleted Mumbai bowling attack, the southpaw may well fancy his chances of scoring big runs against them. Moreover, from Jos Buttler's century to Shikhar Dhawan's 70, most openers have taken MI bowlers to the cleaners in IPL 2022 so far. Similarly, it may just be De Kock's day to haunt his former side.
#2. Suryakumar Yadav (MI)
After missing a couple of games due to injury, Suryakumar Yadav has started IPL 2022 with a bang. The right-hander has scored 163 runs in three outings at an average of 81.5 and a strike rate of 158.25. He has also clobbered 12 sixes in these games.
The local lad has proven to be a vital cog in his team's batting unit and lends solidity to the middle order. He has already dug out MI from a couple of precarious situations this season and will look to continue his sensational run of form against LSG.
#1. KL Rahul (LSG)
Though he has recorded scores of 68(50) and 40(26), we still haven't seen the best of LSG skipper KL Rahul in IPL 2022. The ever-consistent batter, who always figures among the contenders for the Orange Cap, has scored 132 runs in five games so far. His average of 26 isn't ideal for a player of his standards.
However, to rack up his first big score of the IPL 2022, Rahul couldn't have asked for a better team to play against than MI. The 29-year-old boasts of an amazing record against the five-time champions.
In 14 innings against MI, Rahul has scored 661 runs at an excellent average of 66.10. He also has five fifties and a century to his name from these matches.
While MI bowlers will look to get Rahul early in the innings, he will look to lead Lucknow's batting show tonight.
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