IPL 2024 LSG v MI Preview - There's no 'I' in team but there are plenty in Mumbai Indians

Key match stats

Pitch Stats – Ekana Stadium IPL records

Ekana Stadium pitch report 10 most recent IPL matches

Team form LSG vs
LSG: LLWWL
MI: WLWLL

Recent meetings: IPL 2023 - MI won by 83 runs

Weather

General Forecast: Dry and Clear
Chance of dew: Low

Preview LSG vs MI

The last time these 2 met was in the eliminator of the IPL 2023 season when Mumbai thrashed Lucknow by 83 runs. As far as MI's chances of making it that far in the tournament again this season are concerned then this match and pretty much all of their remaining 5 games have become eliminators.

As we head into the final third of the IPL 2024 season there is a real crush of teams around the 10 point mark with no one expect Rajasthan showing the kind of consistency to pull away from the pack. The form of sides like RCB, DC and even PBKS who broke a 4 match losing streak has opened up the league table. I still think 8 wins are going to be necessary to claim a top 4 spot but it's not impossible that someone might sneak through with 7 victories.

For all the noise about massive scores in IPL 2024, LSG have been relatively reserved in their performances to date. That's partly due to the pitch conditions they find themselves playing at here at the Ekana Stadium and partly due to the set-up of their team.

In the 12 IPL matches played at the Ekana Stadium, we've still not seen a score of 200 or more. Scoring is certainly on the increase here this season versus last when the pitch was often very slow and/or offered significant spin. However, the Ekana Stadium pitch report shows that batsmen need to earn their runs here rather than just merrily slog away.

That was certainly what we saw when LSG hosted RR here at the weekend. Deepak Hooda played his best IPL innings for the last couple of years with a classy and almost risk free 51 from 30 balls. That he wasn't able to go on for 3 or 4 more overs in the way that Sanju Samson did is probably what separated the sides.

By contrast MI's performances this season have been far more frenetic. In 5 of their 9 matches so far they've managed to lose 7 or more wickets. Powerful batting unit though they may have, no one has really taken responsibility for being at the crease for a significant amount of time.

There is enough individual talent in this MI team for them to win any and all of their remaining matches this season. However, as a unit they look nowhere near good enough. Batting and bowling partnerships simply haven't developed while in the field their efforts have verged on amateurish at times this season.

They now find themselves drinking at the last chance saloon. Will that be enough to focus the minds of what is a highly experienced squad or are they happy to continue playing for themselves?

LSG MI head to head

MI bowling vs LSG batting

In the context of some of the massive powerplay scores we've seen this season, LSG continue to takes things relatively easy. However, that is as much as a result of them losing regular, early wickets as it is for lack of trying. Quinton de Kock's form is of particular concern with the South African having made just 97 runs in his last 6 innings, 52 of which came in 1 knock against CSK.

KL Rahul T20 record Ekana Stadium

KL Rahul will continue to get labelled a 'stat padder' by certain IPL fans but here at the Ekana Stadium, having a batsmen to play through the innings is essential. In fact, the LSG captain has scored almost twice as many runs at the Ekana Stadium than any other player.

Bumrah's IPL 2024 powerplay record vs all other MI bowlers

On the other hand, attacking MI's weak links will also be an important factor for LSG. Delhi Capitals smashed 71 off the 4 powerplay overs not bowled by Jasprit Bumrah in their last match. Ideally, MI would have liked to bowl Wood and/or Hardik for another over while the field restrictions were in place but instead, they were forced to bring back their star man.

Mumbai Indian's spin bowlers IPL 2024 record

As the pitch report at the Ekana Stadium shows, spin could also be an important factor in this game. However, Mumbai's slower bowlers have failed to pick up wickets or stem the flow of runs so far in IPL 2024. Conditions at their home ground don't generally suit spinners but can they rediscover some form if this Lucknow pitch does turn?

LSG bowling vs MI batting

LSG clearly thought that the pitch in their last match here against RR would take a little more spin as they brought in the veteran Amit Mishra for his first game of the season. Mishra was a regular at the Ekana last season and he has a fantastic record against another IPL legend in Rohit Sharma.

Rohit Sharma head to head Amit Mishra T20 cricket

In fact, he has a very good record against Ishan Kishan (dismissed 3 times from 8 balls faced) and Hardik Pandya (dismissed twice from 14 balls faced). Alongside him, Ravi Bishnoi also has an excellent head to head against the Mumbai top order.

Rohit, Sky and Kishan combined head to head vs Ravi Bishnoi T20 cricket

We know that the Ekana Stadium is one of a few grounds used in the IPL that has the option of both red soil and black soil pitches (or a mixture of both). The red soil pitches here tend to favour spin and I would be very surprised if given MI's weaknesses with both bat and ball on slower, turning surfaces if LSG didn't prepare a red soil pitch.

---

All stats used in this blog are from my own databases which are freely accessible below
IPL player head to head records
IPL player records by stadium
IPL stadium records.
Images are my own with the exception of player profiles and highlights within GIFs which are not intended to infringe copyright- read full disclaimer. Background images are used under a creative commons license or otherwise royalty free.