Finch-less Lions tamed by rampant Mumbai

The result: Gujarat Lions 4/176 (McCullum 64, McClenaghan 2-24) lost to Mumbai Indians 4/177 (Rana 53, Tye 2-34) by six wickets. 

The match in a tweet: Missing kit bag results in missing Gujarat Lions as they succumb to Mumbai top-order blast with Rohit finally reaching double figures.

The kit bag: It was a bizarre occurrence that forced the hand of Brad Hodge and the Gujarat selection panel, withAaron Finch unable to play against Mumbai due to a missing kit bag. Despite all other team members having their gear delivered to the Wankhede Stadium, Finch was the unlucky one as all his cricket equipment was left in Rajkot. Unable to borrow equipment due to sponsor obligations, he was forced to sit out with Gujarat bringing Englishman Jason Roy back into the line-up.

The Baz blast: Brendon McCullum has been a shining light for the Lions despite his side securing just one win from four attempts, scoring 153 runs so far in the IPL. The former Kiwi skipper again was a rock at the top, blasting 64 from 44 balls, with six boundaries and three sixes, playing somewhat of a lone hand in Gujarat’s eventual total of 4-176. Despite his good form, it was the the destructive right-hander's first half-century in ten attempts in the shortest format and, in conjunction with Dinesh Karthik (48no), gave the the visitors a target to bowl at.

The Mumbai middle-men: If Parthiv Patel and Jos Butter don’t get you at the top, someone in the Mumbai middle-order most likely will. In their run of four-straight victories, the damage has been done in the middle, with newly-crowned Purple Cap holder Nitish Rana the destroyer on three of those occasions. His 53 – a second half-century of IPL10 to put him atop the competition's leading run-scorers – was a perfect balance between finesses and power and was the third time that the 23-year-old has top-scored for the Mumbai side this year. Add to the mix a return to form for skipper Rohit Sharma (40no) and the usual late bombardment from Kieron Pollard (39) and you have the ingredients for a serious contender for this year’s IPL crown. Tonight was also the fifth time Hardik Pandya remained not out at the close of the Mumbai Indians.

The chasers: Many question the importance of the toss in T20 cricket but you need look no further than the Wankhede Stadium for some compelling evidence. 19 of the previous 21 teams to bat second at the stadium have won the match, dating back to the start of the 2016 World T20, with the coin falling the way of Rohit in each of the three outings at the Mumbai arena this year, duly electing to field first each time.

The Aussie pack: West Australian quick Andrew Tye was the lone representative from Down Under, claiming 2-34 and being the pick of the bowlers to back up his incredible IPL debut in his previous match. He had Nitish Rana caught behind at a vital point in the match before claiming a consolation wicket in Kieron Pollard as the match drew to a close. And Finch was the victim of Kit Bag-gate as the Mumbai Indians are still yet to unleash Mitchell Johnson in this year’s IPL.

The wash-up: Gujarat will head back to Rajkot to take on Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday in a clash of the bottom-two sides while a win for the Mumbai Indians against Glenn Maxwell and the Kings XI Punjab on Friday would see them push even further ahead at the top-of-the-table.