'He was playing good. Suddenly, you completely ignored him': MI's decision-making questioned; 'difficult' to understand

Mumbai Indians reached Qualifier 2 after their 20-run victory over Gujarat Titans on Friday, as the side now prepares to face Punjab Kings for a place in the final. MI producing a dominant performance in the Elimninator match, putting a mammoth score of 228/5 after opting to bat; even as Sai Sudharsan (80) and Washington Sundar (48) seemed to take the game away from MI at one point in the chase, Hardik Pandya's men pulled back, riding on Jasprit Bumrah's game-changing dismissal of Sundar. Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya cheers his team during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 Eliminator cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians(AFP)

As the side now faces PBKS, however, former India spinner Murali Kartik has questioned MI's decision-making over their bowling attack. During the league stage, one of MI's key performers was spinner Karn Sharma; even as he played six matches, Sharma was effective, picking seven wickets, including a decisive 3/36 spell against Delhi Capitals that not only sparked MI's comeback win but also fuelled their campaign.

Kartik stated that the sudden snub of Sharma was confusing when asked about the potential changes MI could make to their bowling attack ahead of the match against Punjab.

“The way Richard Gleeson clutched his hamstring in the final over, you don't know if he's fit. You don't know whether you'd play him or not. Karn Sharma was playing really good, but suddenly, you've begun to completely ignore him. Santner was sitting on the sidelines when Karn was playing, but now it's the opposite. It's very difficult to call,” Kartik told Cricbuzz.

“They would want Deepak Chahar to be fit. They can get the old combination and old formula back. I know Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks aren't there, but Bairstow has performed. If Chahar comes back, they can have more belief,” added Kartik.

Winner to face RCB

The winner in the match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians will setup a blockbuster final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Tuesday night. The RCB had qualified for the title clash with a thumping 8-wicket victory over Punjab in the first qualifier on Wednesday.

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