The Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur witnesses a display of Rajasthan Royal’s dominance in the IPL tournament against their arch-rivals, the Mumbai Indians. Commanding a 9-wicket victory, yesterday night everything clicked for the Royals, right from Sandeep Sharma’s fiery spell with the new ball to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s breathtaking hundred that put the match to rest.
Mumbai, who elected to bat first, never really got their innings going. Skipper Rohit Sharma and the in-form Ishan Kishan fell drastically, leaving a mountain to climb for the middle order. The dependable Tilak Varma (65) and the surprise package Nehal Wadhera (49) tried their best to revive the innings with a fighting partnership, but wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. Enter Sandeep Sharma, the hero of the day. The pacer runs through the Mumbai batting line-up, picking up his maiden IPL five-for (5/18) – a spell that left the five-time champions reeling at a paltry 179 all out. Jasprit Bumrah, back in the Mumbai colours after an injury layoff, managed to scalp two wickets but was not able to prevent the collapse
Chasing the target looked more like a formality than a challenge, the Royals openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler, came out all guns blazing, Jaiswal, in particular, was unstoppable. He treated the Mumbai bowlers with disdain, dispatching them to the boundary with effortless ease. His third IPL century, a whirlwind knock of 104 runs of just 60 balls, included a delightful mix of audacious sixes and elegant boundaries. Buttler, playing the role of a perfect partner, chipped in with a quickfire 42 before being dismissed.
Subsequently, Sanju Samson (32) and Devdutt Padikkal (28), ensured a smooth finish, taking the Royals home in just 18.4 overs. This victory not only translates the strong play Royal Challengers hold but also sends a strong message to the rest of the competition.
For Mumbai, this season is a story of missed opportunities and underwhelming performances. Their batting woes continued, with their star batsman failing to convert starts into substantial scores. They need to find a solution to their batting worse and improve their bowling attack if they want to salvage their season.
