The Rajasthan Royals snatched a comfortable victory over the Mumbai Indians and defeated them by nine wickets.
The Rajasthan Royals took a comfortable victory over the Mumbai Indians on April 22nd, as the former restricted them to 179 runs and chased the target comfortably with eight balls to spare.
The Mumbai Indians opted to bat first but endured a disastrous start as their openers Rohit Sharma (6) and Ishan Kishan (0) were dismissed early. Suryakumar Yadav at number three could not provide stability either, departing in the fourth over. MI’s innings were revived by a crucial partnership between Nehal Wadhera (49 off 24) and Tilak Verma (65 off 45). The duo stitched together a 99-run partnership in just 52 deliveries. However, skipper Hardik Pandya failed to capitalise on the momentum, adding to MI’s woes.
RR’ Sandeep Sharma emerged as the best wrecker, claiming a brilliant five-wicket haul for just 18 runs. Sharma’s fifer, the third of the IPL season, included crucial wickets at both ends of the MI innings. Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, and Yuzvendra Chahal, who became the first bowler in IPL history to pick 200 wickets, also contributed as RR restricted MI to a decent total.
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Despite a valiant batting effort, the Mumbai Indians’ bowlers were unable to defend their total. RR openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal (104 for 60) and Jos Buttler came out firing, putting on a 74-run partnership. Jaiswal capitalised on the opportunity, scoring his first unbeatable century of the season. MI’s bowling attack struggled, with Gerald Coetzee proving to be the most expensive, conceding 25 runs in just 2 overs with an economy rate of 12.50. Piyush Chawla managed a solitary wicket, dismissing Buttler, but it went in vain as skipper Sanju Samson (38 off 28) joined Jaiswal in a match-winning partnership, securing a comfortable nine-wicket victory for RR.
This win propelled the RR to a remarkable 7 wins out of 8 matches, solidifying their position at the top of the IPL points table and cementing their probability in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians remain in seventh place, needing a turnaround to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Last Updated on April 22, 2024
