I have not witnessed such a bowling performance since 2008. – Suresh Raina regarding Akash Madhwal’s five-wicket performance

Suresh Raina, a former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cricketer, praised Mumbai Indians’ (MI) pacer Akash Madhwal’s remarkable five-wicket haul performance that led MI to an 81-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2023 Eliminator. MI posted 182 for 8, with Cameron Green leading the way with 41 runs off 23 balls and Suryakumar Yadav contributing 33 runs off 20 balls. Naveen-ul-Haq was the best bowler for LSG with four wickets, while Yash Thakur claimed three wickets to restrict MI to 182/8.

In response, LSG was bowled out for 101 runs in 16.3 overs while pursuing the target. Marcus Stoinis led the LSG in scoring with 40 runs on 27 batted balls, while none of his colleagues contributed significantly. For MI, Akash Madhwal was outstanding with the ball, returning figures of 5-5 in 3.3 overs.

The 29-year-old then returned to dispatch Ayush Badoni (1), Nicholas Pooran (0), Ravi Bishnoi (3), and Mohsin Khan (0) in that order. Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina was awestruck by the Mumbai Indians pacer, claiming that he has not witnessed a bowler perform so remarkably well since the IPL’s inception in 2008.

He is an uncapped player who has played infrequently: Raina

The fact that Akash Madhwal is an uncapped player who performed well in a high-pressure game speaks volumes about the new pace phenomenon, according to Raina. The former southpaw also lauded the Mumbai Indians organization for having faith in the youth.

“The greatest part was that he had the opportunity to bowl with the new ball. They had confidence in him after he bowled well at Wankhede. His entire accomplishment should be attributed to his coaching personnel. His run-up is impressive. I have not witnessed such a bowling performance since 2008. He is an uncapped player who hasn’t played much, yet he took five wickets in a qualifying match. Raina informed Jio Cinema that the performance was phenomenal.

The five-time IPL champions, Mumbai Indians, will face the defending champions, Gujarat Titans, in a crucial Qualifier 2 match on Friday, May 26, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, to determine who will face the four-time champions, Chennai Super Kings, in the mega final game on Sunday, for the ultimate glory.