Before the start of IPL 2026, many experts rated Mumbai Indians (MI) among the stronger sides for this season. They started emphatically, chasing down 221 against Kolkata Knight Riders with five balls to spare. It was the first time since 2012 that MI won their first match of an IPL season. All that is a distant memory now as they find themselves at No. 9 on the points table with just two wins from nine games and their playoff hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads.
Their opponents for Monday’s game at the Wankhede Stadium are Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and they too are in a similar situation. They started the season by winning two of their first three games but are now on a five-match losing streak. While the LSG seamers have been among the best in the tournament, their batters have struggled – none more so than Nicholas Pooran. Moved down from his usual No. 3 spot, Pooran has scored just 82 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 81.18.
