[Watch] MI's Akash Madhwal reacts to receiving the match-ball after an incredible fifer against LSG in IPL 2023 Eliminator

Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer Akash Madhwal produced the performance of a lifetime against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to help his team emerge victorious by a staggering 81 runs in the IPL 2023 Eliminator on Wednesday, May 24.

In just 3.3 overs, Madhwal picked up five wickets and conceded just five runs as Lucknow bundled out for 101. After the match, Mumbai Indians posted a video where Akash Madhwal was all smiles while receiving the match ball as a memento.

Here's the video:

Akash Madhwal has been the breath of fresh air that MI needed

Akash Madhwal has proved to be a solution for a number of issues Mumbai had in their bowling department. Injuries to Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer meant that MI had a massive hole in their death bowling.

But Madhwal has solved that issue almost seamlessly, picking up 13 wickets in the seven games that he has played so far. He showed that he couldn't just nail yorkers, but was also an all-phase bowler that Rohit Sharma could back on.

Wickets with the new ball against the Gujarat Titans and also in the middle overs proved that Madhwal had the right mix of variety in his bowling to go for wickets in any phase of the game.

Even in the Eliminator against LSG, Madhwal turned the game in the 10th over. He castled Ayush Badoni and then got the big wicket of Nicholas Pooran on back-to-back deliveries, propelling MI's chances of winning the game.

The MI juggernaut now moves to Ahmedabad where they will face the Gujarat Titans for the third time this season. Mumbai lost by a massive margin of 55 runs against GT in Ahmedabad earlier, but their win at the Wankhede would give them confidence that they can beat Hardik Pandya and Co.