Rajasthan Royals (RR) triumphed over Mumbai Indians (MI) by six wickets in the 14th Match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
Opting to bowl first, the Royals unleashed a devastating pace attack that ripped through Mumbai’s batting lineup. The early dominance of Trent Boult proved particularly disruptive. The left-arm quick claimed the prized wicket of Rohit Sharma for a duck, extending his mastery over him (dismissed for the fifth time in T20 cricket). Boult’s fiery spell continued as he snagged another crucial dismissal, that of Dewald Brevis, in his subsequent over. The onslaught continued with Nandre Burger dismissing Ishan Kishan, leaving the five-time champions reeling at a meagre 20/4. This score represented Mumbai’s second-worst start in IPL history, having lost their top four batsmen for a minuscule total.
A semblance of stability was established through a 56-run partnership between captain Hardik Pandya and youngster Tilak Varma. However, Pandya’s dismissal for 34 off 21 balls, courtesy of Yuzvendra Chahal in the 10th over, marked a turning point. Mumbai’s position further deteriorated from 76 for 4 to 114 for 9. Unable to recover from this collapse, Mumbai concluded their innings at a paltry 125/9 in their allotted 20 overs, registering the lowest score in the ongoing edition of the IPL.
Chahal emerged as the bowling hero, claiming 3/11 in his four overs, while the Kiwi left-arm impressed with figures of 3/22 from his four overs.
RR openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler, began their chase of a modest target. However, Kwena Maphaka claimed the crucial wicket of Jaiswal in his opening over, restricting the early flow of runs.
Akash Madhwal then brought MI back into contention by dismissing both Sanju Samson (12) and Buttler (13) in quick succession. Madhwal continued his impressive spell by removing the experienced Ravichandran Ashwin (16) on his 200th IPL appearance. Despite Madhwal’s efforts, Riyan Parag‘s well-constructed innings of 54 from 39 balls proved to be the match-winner for Rajasthan Royals. Parag’s knock not only secured the victory but also propelled him to the top of the Orange Cap standings.
RR secured their third consecutive victory of the season, propelling them to the top of the league table. Meanwhile, MI slumped to their third straight defeat.
Trent Boult was adjusted as the man of the match for his scintillating spell.
Scorecard:
Mumbai Indians: 125/9, Overs 20, Hardik Pandya 34 (21), Yuzvendra Chahal 3/11
Rajasthan Royals: 127-4, Overs 15.3, Riyan Parag 54*, Akash Madhwal 3/20