The Mumbai Indians showed off their powerful hitting abilities by amassing 217 for 2 before defeating the Rajasthan Royals by 100 runs in Jaipur to eliminate them from postseason contention. As they added a sixth consecutive victory to their amazing run that has propelled them to the top of the table and improved their NRR, MI brought the often-used cliche of “peaking at the right time” to life. This was also the 17th time they reached a 200-plus total batting first in the IPL, and the 17th time they defended it successfully.
Where the game was won?
With the exception of the final couple with the bat, MI was far superior against RR in every aspect of the game throughout this kind of thumping. The two PowerPlays’ wickets columns still showed a clear disparity. While RR collapsed dramatically beneath the mountain of runs looming at them, MI overcame a poor start to position themselves for a flourish throughout.
The PowerPlay difference
| Parameters | MI | RR |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 58/0 | 62/5 |
| Run-rate | 9.66 | 10.33 |
| 4s/6s | 8/2 | 7/3 |
Mumbai Indians
PowerPlay: Watchful start, carefree finish
Phase score – 58/0 [RR: 9.66, 4s/6s: 8/2]
MI’s PowerPlay of two opposing halves was navigated by Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton. The first three overs were cautious and tentative due to strong winds blowing across the ground, which helped Jofra Archer and Fazalhaq Farooqi move sharply to the side. Rohit barely avoided an LBW appeal due to a late and unsure review that showed the ball had pitched just outside leg stump. MI scored just 16 runs in those first three overs before the momentum changed. Rickelton ignited the turnaround with a wristy flick for six over deep square leg off Farooqi, followed by a confident pull off a short delivery. Rohit followed suit, hitting one of the strokes of the match – stepping outside leg stump to clip a 147 kmph Archer delivery between backward point and short third man for four. Rickelton added a four and a six to make it an 18-run fifth over. With three straight boundaries off Maheesh Theekshana, the duo effectively ended the PowerPlay and gave MI just their second opening partnership of 50 or more this season.
Middle-overs: The batting juggernaut rolls on
Phase score – 88/2 [RR: 9.77, 4s/6s: 12/1]
As Rohit and Rickelton attacked two former MI bowlers, Kumar Kartikeya and Akash Madhwal, who were pushed into the game in place of the injured Sandeep Sharma and the sick Wanindu Hasaranga, the mayhem extended far into the middle overs. Even their dismissals—one to Riyan Parag and the other to Theekshana—did not significantly dampen MI’s pace. Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav continued to score at a rate of nearly ten runs per over, picking up where the openers left off. The new pair punished Farooqi with three boundaries when he came back for his third over. Madhwal provided some short-term respite, giving up just seven runs in the final over.
Death-overs: MI up the brutality
Phase score – 71/0 [RR: 14.20, 4s/6s: 6/4]
As Suryakumar and Hardik increased the ferocity in the last overs, flicks, pulls, and bold ramps were all on full display. The pair destroyed everything that stood in their way, with just one sub-double-digit over. In the 16th, Theekshana took the brunt of the action after Hardik’s ferocious drive struck his hand and he sped off for four. The Sri Lankan bounced back nicely during the over, but Suryakumar hit a final-ball full toss over fine leg for six.
As MI’s finishers have demonstrated throughout the tournament, Archer started the 17th with precise full lengths and quick yorkers, but there is very little room for error. Suryakumar only needed a small change—a slower, shorter ball—to muscle it over his fine leg. Hardik exploded when Farooqi returned in the 18th, sending him crashing to the ground and to both sides of the wicket in an over of 21 runs. After returning with a newfound vigor, Archer accelerated the pace and held the pair to just eight runs in the 19th despite an early boundary. Madhwal nearly did the same in the last over, taking three precise yorkers for two runs. Hardik, however, caught a low full toss for four, and Suryakumar completed the slaughter with a consecutive six. They both ended on the same 48* (23).
Rajasthan Royals
PowerPlay: Early collapse and derailment in chase
Phase score – 62/5 [RR: 10.33, 4s/6s: 7/3]
Deepak Chahar claimed his eighth PowerPlay wicket of the season when Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the newest centurion for RR, mistimed a drive to Will Jacks at mid-on and was dismissed for a second-ball duck. Early on, under pressure to score soon, RR took chances that didn’t work out. In the second over, Yashasvi Jaiswal was trying to take on Trent Boult when he collapsed. Nitish Rana and Riyan Parag showed a fleeting show of resistance, but it was as brief. Jasprit Bumrah followed up with a double-wicket over, dismissing Parag and Shimron Hetmyer with short deliveries after Boult had Rana caught by Tilak Varma at deep square leg. After six overs, RR collapsed to 62 for 5, making them the first club this season to lose half of their team inside the PowerPlay.
Middle-overs: More of the same as RR continue to spiral
Phase score – 51/4 [RR: 5.66, 4s/6s: 3/3]
Hardik got rid of impact substitute Shubham Dubey in the eighth over as MI decided to be unrelenting in every phase with both bat and ball. Dhruv Jurel was dismissed in his first over, the ninth, by MI’s impact substitute Karn Sharma, bringing RR down to 76 for 7. The hosts were reduced to 91 for 9 when Karn attempted to force a quick conclusion by taking the wickets of Theekshana and Kartikeya in a single over. The home team’s consolation ended there, however Archer temporarily tossed his bat around to help his club surpass the 100-run milestone.
Death overs: Boult wraps it up
Phase score – 4/1 in 7 balls
Archer’s 30 was the best effort on RR’s sorry scorecard because of how pitiful their response was. To complete the significant triumph, Boult ended that seven-ball in the final overs.
Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 217/2 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 61, Rohit Sharma 53, Suryakumar Yadav 48, Hardik Pandya 48) beat Rajasthan Royals 117 in 16.1 overs (Jofra Archer 30; Trent Boult 3-28, Karn Sharma 3-23, Jasprit Bumrah 2-15) by 100 runs
