Good morning, Lucknow Super Giants—yet another slip. This result won’t come as a shock for a side that has struggled for most of the season, but it still looks jarring on paper: LSG were 123/1 after eight overs. In the end, they couldn’t hold their advantage, as MI turned the chase into a convincing win. Here’s your quick two-minute IPL pulse.
Last night in five lines
LSG shuffled their batting order again, and Josh Inglis finally got a run in the XI. Nicholas Pooran, who returned to No. 3, looked like he was back in rhythm. Rishabh Pant had yet another tough day as LSG slipped from 123/1 after eight overs to 228/5 by the end of the innings. Ryan Rickelton delivered again, and Rohit Sharma—back in the lineup—joined him in piling on the damage. One batter made 84 and the other struck 83, but it was still not enough to stop Mumbai’s dominant response.
Jasprit Bumrah’s outing was another reminder of why MI’s bowling has been under scrutiny. He bowled four overs, conceded 45 runs, and again finished wicketless. This has started to feel like a repeating theme this season, and it’s one reason MI find themselves comfortably outside the top four. Still, those returns have context: two major factors have shaped Bumrah’s spell this campaign—an unusually high-scoring setting at home, and a bowling group that hasn’t consistently backed up the effort from the frontline.
Pulse Awards
rotation fallacy — LSG earn this one for turning the top spot into a revolving door, repeatedly testing different partners for Mitch Marsh. Against MI, they combined Marsh with Josh Inglis, their third opening mix in three matches and fourth overall. Oddly, in nine games, their opening partnership has managed to cross fifty only once—and it doesn’t look good for a team sitting at the bottom of the standings.
slog hog — Nicholas Pooran takes the award for punishing MI’s spinners. His leg-side hitting arsenal looked different from what we’d seen earlier in the season, and once his form returned, it arrived in a hurry. Pooran tore through the attack, smashing eight sixes in total, with six of them coming off spin. The spin-hitter showed up—but the impact was just a little too late for MI to stop the damage.
pokey outlier — Tilak Varma gets tagged for being the odd one out in a match aggregate that read 457 runs. Varma made 11 from 13 deliveries, the only batter across the teams to finish with a strike rate below 120.
rustproof regalia — Rohit Sharma’s batting earns this. He carried none of the rust despite a three-week break. He looked sharp immediately, striking cleanly and lofting in the Powerplay with ease, showing timing as good as ever. The class was obvious, and even if MI’s playoff situation remains difficult, this was the sort of performance that can still trouble more opponents.
battle of the newbies — Raghu Sharma wins this matchup by getting the better of fellow debutant Akshat Raghuwanshi. And to cap off the moment, he pulled out a note from his pocket, highlighting 15 years of hard work. The gesture even caught teammates by surprise, as they leaned in to read what was written.
Talking point
Rohit Sharma returned—and he did it in style, giving MI a major lift. Rohit came on purely as an Impact Sub to manage his return from injury, but he still delivered a statement knock alongside Ryan Rickelton. Together, the pair struck 15 sixes, a combination that effectively sealed the contest. Rohit’s Powerplay strike rate was 180, and after that it climbed further to 200. This was Rohit at his most menacing, and while MI’s prospects are still slim, they can absolutely make life difficult for several teams from here.
Who’s saying what
Justin Langer praised Rohit Sharma, saying he always knew the quality he brings as a player with Australia, and now he understands it even more in the IPL environment with Lucknow Super Giants. He added that the league is special because every night—whether on television or in the stadium—you get to watch some of the best talent in the world.
Ryan Rickelton also joined the praise, noting that Rohit is among Mumbai’s greatest and India’s greats, and that it’s a pleasure to share the field with him.
Rishabh Pant summed up the feeling inside the LSG camp in the simplest way possible: “I think we need some good luck, man. That’s the only thing I’m going to say.”
He then elaborated on why LSG believed MI’s total would be chaseable, pointing out that even after scoring 244 a few days earlier, Sunrisers had successfully hunted it down. Pant said the logic was clear—anything around 220 to 225 to 230 would likely be within reach.
Stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav echoed that confidence, explaining that MI were always prepared for the chase and believed they could get there.
Stat Snack
Yet another 220-plus total was chased down with relative ease, reinforcing how common these scores have become in IPL 2026. Even with all MI’s struggles, they’ve now broken their own record for the highest successful chase twice. After chasing 221 against KKR early in the tournament, MI bettered it last night by finishing the job with 229. Only Punjab Kings have now managed more successful chases of 200-plus totals than MI.
What’s the latest gossip?
Dhoni’s situation remains a talking point online, with plenty of speculation doing the rounds. The fact that he didn’t travel to Delhi adds another layer of uncertainty, even as CSK has maintained that he will appear “at some stage.” CSK’s next home game is scheduled for May 10, with their final match at home on the 18th. Traditionally, fans look forward to a Thala moment around Chepauk—until then, expect more twists and turns.
Tonight’s watchlist
A key match this evening could swing the playoff picture. Both CSK and DC have played the same number of fixtures and collected the same number of wins so far. The team that wins tonight will improve its own chances while making life tougher for the side on the losing end.
Reckless prediction for tonight’s match
DC will likely consider yet another change to their opening combination.
