'Rashid ne MI ki duniya hila di' - Fans react as Rashid Khan's 79 runs haunts MI as team battles for playoff berth

In the 69th match of the Indian Premier League 2023, Mumbai Indians are hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In a do-or-die game for MI, Rohit Sharma and company need to win this game by a huge margin to stay alive in the race for playoffs. Even after winning the game, their fate will depend upon the result of the last league game.

The net run rate of Mumbai Indians is in minus and the team needs to boast it so that they can avoid being eliminated based on it. Mumbai and Royal Challengers Bangalore both have won 7 out of their 13 league games and are currently at 6th and 4th on the points table.

It is worth noting that in their second last game against Gujarat Titans Rashid Khan hammered MI bowlers and scored unbeaten 79 runs in the loss. Despite winning that game, MI failed to improve their NRR and it has come to haunt them. Rashid scored 79 runs off 32 balls with the help of 10 sixes. However, this is not the first time that MI needs to compensate their NRR against SRH. In 2021, MI was in the same position and they failed to do so.

Mumbai Indians are set to chase the target

In the game, MI skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl first in a high-pressure game. The team needs to chase the target with a significant run rate of 12.1 runs per over to qualify for the playoffs. Notably, MI has been great with the bat this season and the team has taken a bet on it only.

While speaking after the toss skipper Rohit said, "We are gonna chase. Just the nature of the pitch. It is a little dry as well. Whatever it has to happen will happen in the first innings. Shokeen is not playing. Kartikeya is in. It is a tricky one. We just want to win the game and not think about how to do it. Winning gives us a chance. Not looking too far ahead. We talked in the team meeting about what to do. We have played an afternoon game before. We are aware of the pitch and the conditions here. You just need to play well to win."

Here is how fans react to MI's NRR:

LSG captain Krunal Pandya ended their dream of Top 2 where as Gujarat Titans Captain Hardik Pandya ended their chance of getting good run rate. Today again luck of Mumbai lies in hand of Hardik Pandya 😂

— Shubman Gang (@ShubmanGang) May 21, 2023

Thank you Rashid Khan

— . (@AamirsABD) May 21, 2023

Duniya hila dege hum- Rashid Khan

— Archer (@poserarcher) May 21, 2023

Let’s see kya hota hai .. predict who will qualify rcb or mi ?

— Nitin jain(Sachinsuperfan) (@NitinSachinist) May 21, 2023

Umpire kharide hai to teri team umpire nahi kharide toh fir you know who lol

— Archer (@poserarcher) May 21, 2023

Gt won 1 title , this is the exact difference between them and rcb

— lakhbir (@Lakhbir_44) May 21, 2023

That's the genius of Rashid Khan.

MI could have bowled better but they couldn't but its in the past now. There's no benefit in looking back. May the best team reach playoffs cheers!

— Chup Bey! (@stud88282483) May 21, 2023

Yea, his knock in that game was the game changer for MI. He just destroyed MI’s NRR with his knock. Till now, MI is just not able to cope up with NRR because of Rashid Khan. What a knock man 👏👏👏👏👏

— kedar (@kedar9909) May 21, 2023