The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians stormed into the Qualifier 2 of the ongoing TATA IPL 2023 by knocking Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a largely one-sided encounter at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The five-time IPL champions ticked-off all the boxes in a highly-anticipated contest to set up a clash with defending champions Gujarat Titans on Friday.
After their batters chipped in with valuable contribution to guide MI to an above-par 181-8 on spin-friendly Chepauk track, uncapped India pacer Akash Madhwal ran-riot through LSG batters and return with best figures of 5-5.
Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan lavished praise upon the Uttarakhand seamer for putting up such a show in a high-stakes encounter and speaking on Start Sports’ Cricket Live, he said: “We have never seen an uncapped player dominate in a high-pressure game. Akash Madhwal has picked up 9 wickets in the last two games. He deserves all the credit for taking MI to the Qualifier.”
Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif also lauded the right-arn quick for his mastery over his craft and control over the cricket ball.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Md Kaif expressed: “Akash Madhwal bowls hard length. His bowling style resembles Mohd Shami and gets the zip off the surface. What a player he has been for Mumbai Indians lately. He’s looked like a matured bowler with every game he’s played.”
Madhwal, who polished his bowling skills with tennis-ball cricket, garnered praise from former India cricketer Ravi Shastri for bowling hard length and being a street smart cricketer in the big game.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Ravi Shastri said: “Madhwal applied himself in this game brilliantly, he bowled beautifully and bowled the hard length on a slow Chepauk track. He also has a good cutter. Tennis ball cricketers are very street smart and Madhwal has shown that skill on the big stage. He’s a young bowler and a quick learner. It was another superb effort from this young talent.”
MI’s batting mainstay Suryakumar Yadav also played another vital knock in a big encounter as he gauged the pitch conditions well on a challenging Chepauk surface.
Hailing SKY for the array of shots in his batting arsenal, former India cricketer cricketer Harbhajan Singh stated no other batter in the world has a better hitting range than Suryakumar Yadav.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Harbhajan Singh said: “I can say with confidence that no other batsman in the world has the range and variety of Surya. The way Surya came back with a bang after failing in the initial matches proves how mentally strong he is as a player.”