Mumbai Indians machine purring on all cylinders as a complete performance seals sixth win in a row and sends Rajasthan Royals out.
Everything seems to be falling in place for as a commanding performance got them their first victory over in Jaipur since 2012. ’s top order played perfectly, setting up a big total, before their bowling made short work of the hapless hosts.
When things are going your way, the little things that matter work out in your favour. In the second over of the game, Fazalhaq Farooqi deceived with a knuckle-ball, with the batsman playing much too soon and getting hit on the back pad with no prospect of the delivery going over the stumps. The umpire wasted little time in raising his finger, but Rohit thought long before challenging the decision, almost as an afterthought.
As it turned out, the ball from the left-arm seamer had pitched outside the leg-stump, by the barest of margins. A few weeks ago, when Rohit and Mumbai Indians were having their customary slow start to the season, the cricketing gods may not have been this generous. But at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Thursday, the -led team looked every bit an outfit that was coming into the game on the back of five successive wins. Rohit and his opening partner Ryan Rickelton – one of the unsung heroes for the franchise – pushed on from a steady start and compiled a century partnership in just over 10 overs, setting the base for the eventual total of 217/2.
Rickelton set the pace up front with solid 61(38) 👊
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Rohit could not get beyond 20 in his first few outings, but for a player of his quality, once he spends some time in the middle, it almost becomes too easy for him sometimes. The fielding restrictions play into his hands as is often evident when he gives the Indian innings the impetus at the top in white-ball cricket. After his initial scare, there was hardly any anxiety as Rohit breezed to his half-century off 31 balls. The former skipper is back to enjoying himself in IPL.
Having been raised on South African pitches, Rickelton has adjusted admirably to Indian conditions and a wristy flick for six off Farooqi showed the ability he has. It was his second successive half-century and third this campaign, but he has got into double figures in all but one of his knocks while not wasting many deliveries. His added utility as a decent wicketkeeper makes him a vital member of the team that now looks to be turning into a juggernaut.
Rampant Rohit smashed his 3rd fifty of IPL 2025 🔥
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Many a strong start has been squandered by the set batsmen getting out in quick succession and the subsequent players failing to capitalise. But and Hardik Pandya are too experienced for that. From a position of 123/2 in the 13th over, a sub-optimal performance could have left them with a total in the vicinity of 180 or 190. But the two are made for the last few overs of an innings and the move to promote them in the order paid rich dividends.
Surya has the habit of accessing untenanted areas of the field, but on Thursday found space when there was seemingly none. With Farooqi bowling short and wide with the left-armer’s angle, with a short- third and deep third in place, he beat the man on the boundary twice in succession, on either side.
Captain Hardik Pandya muscled his way to 48*(23) 💪
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That was in addition to his patented sweeps off bowlers fast and slow, finding the boundary, and the dugouts, almost at will.
Hardik relies more on strong forearms and fast hand-speed through the ball to launch into what were otherwise decent deliveries. Full balls, just short of yorker length, were sent to and over the fence with hardly any backlift. One straight drive almost took bowler Maheesh Theekshana’s fingers with it, the intervention doing nothing to prevent the ball from reaching the boundary.
Creative Suryakumar Yadav’s aggressive knock of 48*(23) 🫡
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Jofra Archer was an intermittent threat and Akash Madhwal was impressive in the manner in which he nailed his yorkers, more often than not. The latter was the most impressive seamer for Rajasthan Royals, but when he missed his mark ever so little or tried something different, he was taken to the cleaners.
Both Surya and Hardik finished unbeaten on 23-ball 48 each, adding 94 in only 46 balls, and took Mumbai Indians to a total much beyond the hosts’ reach on the day.
One swallow doesn’t a summer make – and Vaibhav Suryavanshi was rudely brought down to earth with a first-over duck.
Rajasthan Royals have been underwhelming and lacking in game awareness this season. Failing to get over the line in at least three games which seemed well within their grasp while batting second, the way they approached the chase betrayed a lack of composure. Even during Suryavanshi’s whirlwind hundred against , there were a few early top and leading edges, but once he got out early, his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal had to take the game deep. He has had a lot of IPL experience, but got ahead of himself after hitting for two sixes in his first over. An ugly swipe had his furniture rearranged and the batting order suddenly looked fragile, especially with regular skipper Sanju Samson not available due to injury.
Resolute Boult’s fantastic spell of 3/28 ⚡️
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Stand-in captain Riyan Parag exudes confidence but his contributions with the bat haven’t been inspirational. With overseas hitter not pulling his weight and not much meat in the lower-middle order, the team looked lightweight when confronted with the well-oiled Mumbai Indians machine.
Impact Player Karn Sharma makes an impact with 3/23 👏
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Rajasthan Royals are known to groom talented Indian players, but winning, or at least being competitive consistently, has to be the main goal for a franchise. After an early exit as a result of winning just three of their 11 games, their main decision-makers have a lot to ponder as they lick their wounds.
Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 217/2 (Ryan Rickelton 61, Rohit Sharma 53, Suryakumar Yadav 48*, Hardik Pandya 48*) beat Rajasthan Royals 117 all out in 16.1 overs (Archer 30; Jarn Sharma 3/23, Trent Boult 3/28) by 100 runs
