TATA IPL 2024: Rohit, Naman's Fifties in Vain as Mumbai Indians Lose by 18 to LSG
India skipper Rohit Sharma smashed a half-century in his last innings before the T20 World Cup, and Naman Dhir hammered an unbeaten 62 off just 28 balls. Despite their impressive performances, the Mumbai Indians were defeated by the Lucknow Super Giants by 18 runs in Match 67 of the 2024 Indian Premier League at the Wankhede Stadium.
Rohit, coming in as an Impact Substitute, struck 10 boundaries and three sixes in a 38-ball 68 while Naman Dhir hammered a 28-ball unbeaten 62 as Mumbai Indians ended with 196/6 in 20 overs chasing a challenging total of 214/6 posted by Lucknow Super Giants thanks to a sensational 29-ball 75 by Nicholas Pooran and a patient 55 by skipper K.L Rahul after Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Batting on a pitch on which the ball was gripping a bit, Mumbai Indians lost their way from 88 for no loss to lose five quick wickets for 30-odd runs and it was only an audacious late pyrotechnics by Naman Dhir that gave their score some respectability. Mumbai Indians thus finished with eight points from 14 matches, ending last in the standings, the second time in three years for them. LSG ended with 14 points but will be ruing their performance in a couple of matches which could have put them in the playoff.
Chasing a stiff target of 215, Mumbai Indians got off to a superb start scoring 53 runs in the Power-play as Rohit Sharma and his new opening partner Dewald Brevis raced to fifty runs in the sixth over. In his final outing before he leads India in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma came up with a superb effort, scoring a fine half-century off 28 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes as he started in the fourth gear.
Ravi Bishnoi was treated to boundaries off successive balls in the eighth over and another four in his next over before the spinner had the last laugh as he got Rohit out, the former MI skipper offering an outside edge to Mohsin Khan at short third-man. He scored 68 off 38 balls, hitting 10 boundaries and three sixes. Meanwhile, Brevis fell to Naveen-ul-Haq for 23 off 20 balls, caught by Krunal Pandya at long-off with 88 runs on the board.
Hardik Pandya concluded IPL 2024 much like he started it, with fans booing him as the Mumbai Indians skipper underperformed once more. He managed to score only 16 runs off 12 balls before being caught by Naveen-ul-Haq off Mohsin Khan. Nehal Wadhera was dismissed for a single run, leaving Mumbai Indians at 120/5 in the 15th over. With 66 runs needed from the last three overs, Naman Dhir smashed a couple of sixes and survived a catch off a no-ball to reach a 25-ball half-century. However, his efforts were ultimately in vain as the Mumbai Indians finished IPL 2024 as they began, with a defeat, ending in 10th place, last in the standings.
