New Delhi, May 25 : Former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cricketer Suresh Raina hailed pacer Akash Madhwal's sensational 5-5 haul in helping Mumbai Indians beat Lucknow Super Giants by 81 runs in the IPL 2023 Eliminator, saying he hadn't seen a bowling performance like this since the inception of the tournament in 2008.
Madhwal returned with memorable figures of 5-5 in 3.3 overs, as Lucknow were bowled out for 101 in 16.3 overs. The 29-year-old from Uttarakhand took out opener Prerak Mankad (2), before returning later to dismiss Ayush Badoni (1), Nicholas Pooran (0), Ravi Bishnoi (3) and Mohsin Khan (0).
"What's best was that he got a chance to bowl with the new ball. They trusted him after he bowled well at the Wankhede. All credit should go to his coaching staff. His run-up is great. I haven't seen a bowling performance like this since 2008. He's an uncapped player who hasn't even played much, but taking five wickets in a Qualifier? Sensational performance," Raina was quoted as saying by JioCinema.
Batting first after winning the toss, Mumbai put up a challenging 182/8 with Cameron Green top-scoring with 41 off 23 balls, which brought him praise from former West Indies opener Chris Gayle.
"Cameron Green batted superbly. He was first very deliberate, it was fantastic. It was a good wicket to bat on, the ball was actually coming onto the bat. Cam Green actually set the tone and set the momentum for Mumbai Indians batting."
Mumbai, the five-time IPL winners, will now face defending champions Gujarat Titans in a high-stakes Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, to determine who faces four-time champions Chennai Super Kings in Sunday's title clash.
"They're going to GT's hometown, so that's going to be a big plus for them. That's something we have to take into consideration. But the momentum is now with Mumbai. Is Mumbai going all the way to the final? If they do, CSK doesn't want to see a team like Mumbai," concluded Gayle.
/IANS