Mumbai Indians Enter Semi-Finals: Can Sachin Lift CL T20 Crown For MI?

Mumbai Indians have become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League 2011 CL T20 tournament.

When Trinidad and Tobago successfully chased 138 to win their Group A game against Cobras, Mumbai Indians with 5 points from 4 games qualified for the semi-finals, by default. With this Trinidad and Tobago have finished their Group A matches and garnered 4 points; T&T will now await the result of the last Group A match between Chennai Super Kings and New South Wales Blues.

If Chennai win that game, it could mean qualification for T&T, as the Trinidadians have a much higher NRR than CSK. Before their match against Cobras, T&T had a NRR of +0.183 while CSK have a negative NRR ahead of their last game with NSW. Given the slow nature of the wicket at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, it is doubtful whether CSK would be able to overhaul T&T’s NRR. So a CSK win could willy-nilly push T&T into the semi-finals alongside Mumbai Indians.

Mumbai Indians have had a huge slice of luck throughout the tournament, except for a rain hit match against warriors that they could have won but for the rain intervention.

Harbhajan has led the team well, and their bowling has been very effective and more than made up for the batting failures. When MI beat CSK in their opening game, Harbhajan was quoted as saying that the team was inspired by the presence of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar in the dressing room.

Mumbai Indians would now want Sachin back to fitness in time for the semi-finals. The presence of Tendulkar would not only boost the team psychologically but would also shore up the batting which has been limping. Jacobs has been ruled out of the tournament owing to injury, while the likes of Rayudu and Symonds have failed to get going. The one good batting performance has hinged around lower middle order batsman Pollard.

Wth Tendulkar opening the batting, there would be a sense of reassurance in the Mumbai line-up. Blizzard has been in good nick and Sachin could play an anchor role. In case Sachin returns to the team, Symonds could get the axe. MI were allowed to field five foreign players in the absence of their missing stars. Other than Symonds, they have Blizzard, Pollard, Malinga and Franklin, all of whom have made useful contributions.

Indian fans would have been disappointed with the performance of the IPL teams so far in the tournament. But MI entering the semi-finals and the hope of seeing Sachin Tendulkar back in action is sure to bring cheer, and there is nothing they would want to see more keenly than the sight of Tendulkar holding aloft the Champions League CL T20 trophy after the final!

Tags: Chennai Super Kings, CSK, India, IPL, Malinga, Mumbai Indians, Result, Sachin, Sachin Tendulkar

Category: Cricket