Mumbai Indians batted like beasts to set a total of 217/2 and then knocked Rajasthan Royals out of the reckoning for playoffs with a 100-run victory in Jaipur. The sixth successive win catapulted Hardik Pandya and his men to the top of the table while consolidating their NRR.
MI pick up pace after a watchful start
The opening three overs were marked by vigilance on the batters’ part as gusty winds blowing across the ground assisted Jofra Archer and Fazalhaq Farooqi. Rohit escaped a close LBW shout, saved by a last-ditch review that revealed the ball had pitched a fraction outside leg stump. MI managed only 16 runs in the first half of the PowerPlay but then, the tide turned. Rickelton ushered the momentum shift with a wristy flick for six over deep square leg off Farooqi, followed by an assured pull. Rohit cut loose too, producing a gem of a shot – stepping outside leg stump to scythe a 147 kmph Archer delivery between backward point and short third man for four. The pair capped off the PowerPlay in emphatic fashion with three consecutive boundaries off Maheesh Theekshana, raising just the second 50+ opening partnership for MI this season.
No let-ups for MI in the middle-phase
Rohit and Rickelton continues batting in an aggressive vein, taking to attack to Kumar Kartikeya and Akash Madhwal, who were both part of MI’s attack formerly. Even their dismissals, each against the run of play to Theekshana and Riyan Parag, did little to barricade MI. The baton was relayed to Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya as they sustained a scoring rate close to 10 an over. When Farooqi returned for his third over, he conceded three boundaries.
MI keep their foot on the gas pedal
Suryakumar and Hardik played strokes all around the dial in the death overs. Theekshana came in the firing line in the 16th, copping a murderous drive from Hardik that struck his hand and whooshed away for four. The Sri Lankan managed to pull things back a touch, but a final-ball full toss was swivelled over fine leg by Suryakumar for six.
Archer commenced the 17th with block-hole lengths, but as MI’s finishers have evinced throughout the tournament, the margin for error is next to nothing. A slower, short-of-length ball invited a trademark Suryakumar special over fine leg. Farooqi’s return in the 18th saw Hardik go berserk, smashing him downtown and to both sides of the pitch in a 21-run over. Archer cranked up the pace towards the back end to limit the destructive pair to just eight runs in the 19th despite an early boundary. Madhwal seemed to be keeping up the good work in the ultimate over, landing three pinpoint yorkers for just two runs. However, Hardik razed his figures by punishing a low full toss, and Suryakumar applied the finishing touch with a straight six. Both concluded with an identical 48*(23).
Improvisation 👌
Power 💪How crucial is this partnership between the #MI captain and vice-captain 💙
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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 1, 2025
Rajasthan Royals suffer early mentdown in chase
The talk of the town, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, fell for a second-ball duck when he mistimed a shot to Will Jacks at mid-on, handing Deepak Chahar his eighth PowerPlay wicket of the season. With the pressure to match the asking rate, RR had to take undue risks and they didn’t quite pay off. Yashasvi Jaiswal perished attempting to take on Trent Boult. A brief fightback ensued courtesy of Nitish Rana and Parag, but Boult soon had Rana caught by Tilak Varma at deep square leg and Jasprit Bumrah followed it up with a double-wicket over, prising out Parag and Shimron Hetmyer with bumpers. RR crashed to 62/5 at the end of six overs, fetching the unwanted record of becoming the first team this season to lose half their side inside the PowerPlay.
No respite for RR as MI boss the contest
MI did not lift the foot off the opposition’s throat. Hardik dismissed impact substitute Shubham Dubey in the eighth over while MI’s impact sub – Karn Sharma – fell prey to Dhruv Jurel in the ninth over of the innings to leave RR knee deep in trouble at 76/7. Archer threw his bat around to entertain the crowd, but he could only cut the margin of defeat by so much. Such was the decrepit nature of RR’s pursuit that Archer’s 30 was the top score in their batting card.
