IPL Final, RPS vs MI: Here is a look at the the strengths and weaknesses of the two sides

Strength:

Some smart tactical changes have contributed to Mumbai’s success in each of their wins so far. For example going ahead with Karn Sharma instead of the experienced Harbhajan Singh. Also, the Pandya brothers have played a crucial role. They have become the x-factor of the Mumbai side.

Batting is not a worry as Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard have all played well. The presence of Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Johnson, Harbhajan Singh adds variety to MI’s bowling attack.

Meanwhile, the power hitters in Mumbai’s batting unit comprising of Kieron Pollard, Parthiv Patel and Jos Buttler have kept Mumbai’s batting unit powerful as usual as they hold the ability to single-handedly win matches.

The bowling too has come good with a lethal combination of Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah. Karn Sharma has played his role superbly.

Weakness:

There are not many weaknesses to point out for MI. However, what they will need is consistency at the top and hope big names like Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard deliver with the bat. Both have had a relatively quiet IPL and will need to provide their team with some stability in the middle order. While Rohit did have a decent knock against KKR, he did not play till the end. Hence, he will hope to convert his short innings into a bigger one and what better place than in the finals.

Rising Pune Supergiant (RPSG)

Strength:

A strong batting unit with some world class batsman like Steve Smith and Mahender Singh Dhoni is their biggest plus point. The RPS squad is filled with superstars who are capable of winning the match on their own. These players have done it all at the international level for a very long time now and also in the league in the past

Weakness:

While Jaydev Undakat has done well in the bowling for RPS, it is not a world class bowling attack and how they will respond to pressure situations is a matter of conjecture. On the other hand, Rising Pune Supergiant’s batsmen have a habit of losing wickets at regular intervals which lead to pressure on the batsmen down the order. That is something they will look to avoid. Dhoni will be looking to fire some runs and Smith needs to chip in by spending more time at the crease and play a captain’s knock on the big occasion. The absence of Ben Stokes and Imran Tahir is another weakness.

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