Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians stormed into Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2023 by knocking out Lucknow Super Giants in a largely one-sided encounter at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.
The five-time IPL champions ticked off all the boxes in the key contest to set up a clash with the defending champions, the Gujarat Titans.
The winner of the encounter will take on the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL final in Ahmedabad on May 28. After their batters chipped in with valuable contributions to guide MI to an above-par 181-8 on the spin-friendly Chepauk track, uncapped India pacer Akash Madhwal ran riot through LSG batters and returned with best figures of 5-5.
Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan lavished praise on the Uttarakhand seamer for putting up such a show in a high-stakes encounter. Irfan said, “We have never seen an uncapped player dominate in a high-pressure game. Akash Madhwal has picked up nine wickets in the last two games. He deserves all the credit for taking MI to the qualifier.”
Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif lauded the right-arm quick for his mastery over his craft and control over the cricket ball. “Akash Madhwal bowls hard. His bowling style resembles Mohd Shami and gets the zip off the surface. What a player he has been for the Mumbai Indians lately! He’s looked like a mature bowler with every game he’s played.”
Madhwal, who polished his bowling skills with tennis-ball cricket, also garnered praise from former India cricketer Ravi Shastri for bowling hard length and being a street-smart cricketer in the
big game.