IPL 2024: Top 10 Memes from MI vs LSG, Match 67

MI bowling ( Source : IPL )

Match 67 of IPL 2024, involving the bottom-ranked Mumbai Indians and the Lucknow Super Giants, was largely considered a dead rubber. The Super Giants needed to pull off an extraordinary feat to have any chance of reaching the fourth spot, while also depending on the RCB-CSK game to go in their favour, either through a CSK win or a permissible-margin loss.

With the Wankhede Stadium filled to capacity, possibly for Rohit Sharma’s last match with the team, Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to field first.  Nuwan Thushara’s LBW dismissal of Devdutt Padikkal was followed by a recovery from LSG, with KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis building their total. However, after scoring 13 runs off the first five balls of Piyush Chawla’s over, the final one of the powerplay, Stoinis was trapped LBW, giving Chawla another IPL wicket. Even without Jasprit Bumrah, LSG couldn’t capitalize fully in the powerplay, scoring just 49/2. Overs 7-10 yielded just 20 runs, with part-timers Nehal Wadhera and Chawla successfully containing the batters.

Courtesy of southpaw Nicholas Pooran, LSG gained momentum with Pooran hammering a 19-ball half-century. He hit Arjun Tendulkar for a second successive six off a failed yorker that turned into a full toss, post which Tendulkar left the field due to severe cramping. Pooran’s electrifying 75 off 29 balls, along with Rahul’s fourth fifty of IPL 2024 and Ayush Badoni’s late fireworks, helped LSG reach 214/6. Thushara and Chawla were the standout bowlers for the home team, taking three wickets each for 28 and 29 runs, respectively.

Coming to the run-chase, unlike LSG, MI didn’t lose any wickets in the powerplay, scoring 53 off it. The hosts were ahead of where LSG till the 13th over, up until both LSG and MI had scored 115/3. Rohit had already got out on the final delivery of the 11th over, creating complete havoc whilst occupying the crease, scoring 68 off 38 in what might be his final IPL innings with MI, amid speculations of him relocating to another franchise in the seasons to come.

A blasting maiden IPL fifty from Naman Dhir, probably coming a bit too late (No. 7) was not enough as his scorching 62 off 28, laced with four fours and five maximums wasn’t enough to get the hosts across the line, who ultimately got done with their dismal campaign with only four victories in 14 games.

Krunal Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi were the standout performers for LSG, with pacers Mohsin Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq being on the expensive side, however bagging a wicket and a couple, respectively. Even though the 18-run victory didn’t help LSG to get through to the playoffs, they ended their season on a good note, although it could’ve been a lot more syrupy had they won even one of their past three games excluding the game against MI.

Below are some memes from Match 67 between MI and LSG: