IPL 2025 PREVIEW: “Not Worried About Rohit’s Form,” Says Pollard as Mumbai Indians Face Lucknow Super Giants

Anastasiia Dudkina
04 Apr 2025
07:11

Mumbai Indians' slow start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season has not come as a surprise to Kieron Pollard, who has seen the five-time champions struggle early in previous campaigns. As MI prepare to take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday, Pollard remains confident that his team will find its rhythm.

Pressure will be on Rohit Sharma to come up with a big score in the match against Lucknow Super Giants. @Mumbai Indians
Pressure will be on Rohit Sharma to come up with a big score in the match against Lucknow Super Giants. @Mumbai Indians
Pollard in the pre-match press conference on Thursday said
A slow start has been the case historically. But I can safely tell you, from playing and even being on the other side of the rope, that is not something that we want to happen.
Pollard
We continue to try to prepare all the time to win from the first game. But, as nature has it so far, we have put ourselves in these positions by starting slow. Having said that, it's all part and parcel of the sport. After the mega auction, some teams got their combinations right quicker than others. We continue to work hard on that, and hopefully, we can string some wins together.

Backing Rohit Sharma Amid Batting Concerns

While Mumbai's batting struggles have been a talking point, much of the focus has been on former captain Rohit Sharma’s poor form. With scores of 0, 8, and 13, this has been his worst start to an IPL season since 2020. His demotion to an Impact Substitute in the last match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) raised further questions.

Pollard, however, dismissed any concerns about Rohit’s form, backing the experienced opener to bounce back.

Pollard added
I've played alongside Rohit since under-19 cricket, and he has etched his name in history across formats. He’s a legend of the game. Every cricketer has phases of low scores, but he has earned the right to enjoy his cricket without undue pressure. Let’s not judge on a few innings. Cricket is a game where you fail more often than you succeed. When Rohit scores big, we’ll be singing his praises again and moving on to the next hot topic.

Mumbai Indians’ Recent Turnaround

After suffering two straight defeats, Mumbai Indians secured their first win of the season with an eight-wicket victory over KKR. Ryan Rickelton’s unbeaten 62 off 41 balls provided a much-needed boost to their batting lineup. The South African wicketkeeper-batter had struggled in the first two games but showed his ability in the win.

On the bowling front, debutant Ashwani Kumar made an immediate impact with a four-wicket haul (4-24), dismissing key KKR batters, including Ajinkya Rahane and Andre Russell.

LSG’s Struggles and Pant Under Scrutiny

Like MI, Lucknow Super Giants have had an inconsistent start, with one win from three matches. Their most recent outing ended in an eight-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings.

Skipper Rishabh Pant has yet to make a significant contribution with the bat, adding pressure on LSG’s middle order. Visuals of Pant’s animated exchange with team owner Sanjiv Goenka have only added to the scrutiny.

LSG’s batting has relied heavily on Nicholas Pooran, who leads the IPL 2025 scoring charts with 189 runs in three innings. However, their bowling attack has lacked consistency, with only Shardul Thakur’s four-wicket haul against Sunrisers Hyderabad standing out.

LSG could receive a much-needed boost with fast bowler Akash Deep expected to be available for selection, potentially strengthening their attack.

Head-to-Head Record and Key Matchups

Lucknow Super Giants have dominated this fixture, winning five of their six encounters against Mumbai Indians. MI will be keen to improve that record and build momentum in the tournament.

Key Battles to Watch:

    • Rohit Sharma vs Ravi Bishnoi: Can Rohit regain form against LSG’s key spinner?

    • Hardik Pandya vs Shardul Thakur: MI’s captain will look to dominate against LSG’s all-rounder.

    • Nicholas Pooran vs Trent Boult: Pooran is LSG’s mainstay, while Boult’s swing could trouble him early.

Pollard concluded
We’ve got to stay positive, stick to our processes, and trust our abilities. The tournament is long, and it’s about peaking at the right time.

Probable Playing XIs:

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Vignesh Puthur.

Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Rathi, Akash Deep, Ravi Bishnoi.


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