Mumbai Indians scored 125/9 in 20 overs, where as Rajasthan Royals scored 127/4 in 15.3 overs.
So, finally Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians by 6 wickets.
Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Riyan Parag propelled Rajasthan Royals to another victory, further denting Mumbai Indians’ hopes of securing their first points of the season.
In a disappointing turn of events for MI in their inaugural home game of IPL 2024, a batting collapse led to a meager total of 125 for 9.
RR efficiently chased down the target with 4.3 overs remaining and six wickets in hand.
Trent Boult wreaked havoc for MI during the Powerplay.
The New Zealand speedster showcased his mastery by claiming a wicket in the very first over of the innings.
He went a step further by dismissing Rohit Sharma caught behind and then trapping Naman Dhir leg before wicket.
With these dismissals, he bolstered his tally of first-over wickets in the IPL to 25.
The significance of this achievement is underscored by the fact that no other bowler has managed more than eight.
MI promptly utilized their impact substitute, bringing on Dewald Brevis for Dhir in a bid to halt the early, shocking collapse.
However, their hopes were dashed as the South African became the third batter to depart for a duck, edging a length ball to Nandre Burger at short third.
Burger, not content with merely assisting in picking wickets, joined in the action by dismissing Ishan Kishan with a perfectly pitched delivery.
The left-hander attempted a push but failed to connect cleanly, resulting in an edge behind to Sanju Samson.
Could Wankhede’s heroics save the day?
Somewhat.
Hardik Pandya’s debut as MI captain at Wankhede commenced with home fans expressing their displeasure by booing him during the toss.
The extent of their discontent prompted an awkward intervention from Sanjay Manjrekar, urging the fans to ‘behave’.
Hardik entered the crease in the fourth over and promptly dispatched a couple of fours off Burger in the sixth.
Following the PowerPlay, MI managed to score 29 runs in three overs, with their skipper contributing 18 runs from just 10 balls.
Hardik’s innings concluded when he mistimed a big shot to long on off Yuzvendra Chahal, departing for 34 runs off 21 balls, 24 of which came from boundaries.
What unfolded next?
Further dominance from RR.
Shimron Hetmyer’s exceptional catch at backward point dismissed Piyush Chawla in the 12th over.
Tilak Varma, fighting a lone battle, attempted to chase a delivery outside off-stump from Chahal, only to edge it to Ashwin at short third.
Chahal’s strategic flighted deliveries paid dividends yet again as Gerald Coetzee became his third victim of the game, hitting one straight to Hetmyer at cover.
Chahal concluded with impressive figures of 3 for 11, including 16 dot balls and just one boundary.
Avesh Khan and Burger tightened the screws, conceding a mere three runs off the 18th and 19th over, respectively, before Jasprit Bumrah managed to score off a short delivery in the final over, nudging MI’s total just past 120.
Was there anything noteworthy about the chase?
MI’s 17-year-old fast bowler Kwena Maphaka claimed his maiden wicket, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal in the opening over.
Despite having a modest total to defend, Hardik Pandya strategically utilized Jasprit Bumrah for half of the overs in the PowerPlay.
However, the RR pair of Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler managed to navigate through the early onslaught.
Nonetheless, Akash Madhwal swung the momentum by dismissing both Samson, caught playing onto his stumps, and Buttler, who top-edged a short delivery to Chawla at fine leg.
With RR at 48/3, the match felt poised for an intriguing contest.
Was it, though?
Not exactly.
Riyan Parag, displaying his composure and confidence, anchored RR’s innings after the early turbulence.
He initiated his innings by elegantly upper-cutting a short delivery from Gerald Coetzee over the wicketkeeper for a boundary, followed by another pull shot for consecutive fours.
With the required run rate comfortably below six, both Parag and the promoted R Ashwin opted for a cautious approach, avoiding unnecessary risks.
They managed to reduce the equation to 38 runs off 48 balls when Akash Madhwal struck again, claiming his third wicket of the night.
A leading edge off Ashwin’s bat resulted in a simple catch for Tilak Varma on the off-side.
Despite the setback, Parag continued to execute his innings shrewdly.
He dispatched a full delivery from Bumrah for a boundary but opted for singles for the remainder of the over in partnership with impact substitute and debutant Shubham Dubey.
Parag then showcased his attacking prowess by slog-sweeping Piyush Chawla for a six, before sealing the victory with consecutive boundaries off Coetzee, concluding with an unbeaten 54 runs off 39 deliveries.
What’s on the horizon?
MI will remain in Mumbai, eager to secure their first victory when they face Delhi Capitals on April 7.
Meanwhile, RR returns home to confront RCB on April 6.
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