IPL 2018, MI vs KXIP: Mumbai face Punjab in crucial match today for playoff

MI have to win both their remaining two matches to keep their chances alive for advancing to the playoffs. While KXIP need to win at least one game to be in reckoning. Catch live updates here

In the 50th match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) led by R Ashwin in a must-win game at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. MI will be desperate for a win against KXIP to keep their playoff hopes alive when they square-off in today’s IPL match. With 10 points, the three-time champions Mumbai Indians are placed at the sixth spot in the Vivo IPL 2018 points table while their opponents are a spot ahead with 12 points in their kitty.

Just when MI's dream of making it to the final four was on the verge of getting shattered, the Rohit Sharma-led brigade came up with a spirited show to register a hat-trick of wins before faltering against Rajasthan Royals in their previous game. Mumbai Indians have to win both their remaining two matches to keep their chances alive for advancing to the playoffs.

Mumbai Indians, with an excellent net run-rate, need to put behind the humiliation by the Rajasthan Royals and come out with all guns blazing against an equally jittery KXIP, who have lost their way in the second half of IPL 2018 after starting strongly. MI's middle order was yet again exposed in the last game when their batsmen, including skipper Rohit Sharma, failed miserably. Only Suryakumar Yadav has been among the runs on a consistent basis and MI would be pleased with the return to form of West Indian opener Evin Lewis. These two will be banked upon to provide an excellent start.

But they need the others down the order especially skipper Rohit to contribute big in today’s IPL match. Save his match-winning knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore here, Rohit has failed to perform to his potential and MI need him in cracking form, backed up by the Pandya brothers Hardik and Krunal. Mumbai Indians' bowling too has been a worry. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik and left arm pacer Mitchell McClenaghan will have to bowl cleverly to stop the rampaging K L Rahul and Chris Gayle from scoring big runs in today’s IPL match. All three may come up with a short-ball attack on the rival openers as Umesh Yadav showed with great success for RCB. The role of leggie Mayank Markande (14 wickets) will also be crucial along with that of Krunal Pandya to choke the run-flow in the middle overs during today’s IPL match at Wankhede.

On the other hand, despite being a place ahead, Kings XI Punjab lag behind Mumbai Indians in net run-rate. The Ravichandran Ashwin-led side KXIP, who started their IPL 2018 campaign on a rousing note, faltered in the business end of the league, losing five of their last six games. KXIP suffered their worst defeat of IPL 2018 in their last outing when Royal Challengers Bangalore hammered them by 10 wickets, a game where both the batsmen and bowlers succumbed before Kohli's men. Kings XI Punjab's batting mostly relies on openers Rahul and Chris Gayle as the duo have accumulated 558 and 350 runs respectively. KXIP openers have been a major reason behind their success as the two have handed a perfect start to their side on several occasions in IPL 2018 and KXIP will hope that they must provide a great start in today’s IPL match again. Karun Nair has been inconsistent with 247 runs so far, while veteran Yuvraj Singh and Mayank Agarwal are yet to make their presence felt in the middle-order.

BJP vs Congress-JD(S): Karnataka's fate now in Governor's hands; highlights Edit

As the fate of politics in Karnataka hangs in balance, the key lies in the fact as to who Governor invites to formally form the government first

As counting for Karnataka Assembly polls has ended, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 103 seats and is leading is one, emerging as the single largest party. The Congress party stood on the second position with 78 seats, while former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) party bagged 37 seats. Apart from this, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party and independents won one seat each.The Karnataka Assembly election results threw up an unexpected suspense today, as a simple majority tantalisingly eluded BJP and the Congress quickly proclaimed support to third-placed JD(S) to keep the saffron party out of power. As the results of the poll in the state have left Karnataka Assembly in hung, the final decision will be taken by Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.All eyes are now on Governor Vajubhai Vala who will have to decide whether to call BJP, the single largest winner of seats, to try to form the government or go with the JD(S)-Congress combine, which together have a clear majority in the 224-member Assembly. Elections were held for 222 seats on May 12. Both sides rushed to meet Vala, their vehicles slowly cutting through the throngs of party workers and supporters assembled outside the Raj Bhavan gates, and staked claim to power.Elections in Karnataka were held at 222 out of 224 seats, on May 12. A party or an alliance needs 112 seats to form the government in Karnataka.

Karnataka election result 2018 highlights:* Siddaramaiah wins Badami assembly seat, but loses in Chamundeshwari.* Yeddyurappa wins Shikaripura seat by a margin of over 35,000 votes.* Kumaraswamy wins both Ramanagara and Channapatna seats.A record 72.36 per cent of the 50.7 million (5.07 crore) electorate cast their votes, with 27,908 electors in defence services exercising their franchise through postal ballots.The Election Commission has deployed 16,662 personnel for counting of votes amid tight security. "Postal ballots will be counted first before the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are opened," Kumar said.Meanwhile, four of the seven polling agencies predicted in their exit polls that the BJP would emerge as the single-largest party today. While most exit polls predicted a hung Assembly with the BJP ahead, two said the BJP would either come very close to or cross the halfway mark of 112 seats, while the India Today-Axis exit poll said the Congress might bag a majority. All exit polls gave the H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) nearly two dozen seats or more, which could make it the kingmaker if there is a hung Assembly.

Top 10 developments on Karnataka election 2018 results:

1. How expressions changed at BJP headquarters with Karnataka swings: BJP leaders slammed the Congress for running a toxic and negative campaign and said the people of Karnataka had chosen the BJP's development agenda over the Congress's divisive agenda.

But the whole scenario changed in the afternoon as TV screens showed the party's count dropping and that of the Congress increasing. With the BJP numbers coming down to 105 from 120, the drum beats and celebrations stopped and the union ministers as well as the party's national spokespersons left the headquarters.

The smiles on the faces of party workers also dimmed but they drew satisfaction from the BJP emerging as the single-largest party with 104 seats.

The smiles again returned to the party office after Narendra Modi and Amit Shah came to mark the party's performance.

2. Learning from mistakes, Congress acted swiftly to be in race for power in Karnataka: Learning from past mistakes, the Congress today moved swiftly to remain in the game as it extended support to JD(S) to form a government in Karnataka after the BJP failed to get a simple majority.

The move is seen as an attempt by the beleaguered party to save yet another state from slipping out of its kitty. The Congress currently rules Punjab, Mizoram and Puducherry.