IPL 2018, RR vs MI: Hits and Misses
Another Mumbai Indians game, another final over finish and a close loss for them yet again.
Rohit Sharma became the second captain this season to win the toss and bat first. However, Dhawal Kulkarni knocked over Even Lewis in the first over of the game to give Rajasthan Royals a good start.
But the uncapped duo of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan (who scored fifties) batted superbly and forged a 129-run partnership.
However, after that partnership was broken Mumbai Indians couldn’t gather momentum towards the back end of the innings and finished with 167/7.
Jofra Archer had a very good debut as he took 3/22 as none of MI middle-order batsmen got going.
In reply, RR lost a couple of early wickets, but Sanju Samson and Ben Stokes got the chase back on track with a 72-run stand for the third wicket.
MI then once again pulled back the initiative with some quick wickets. But Krishnappa Gowtham came and struck a magnificent 33 in just 11 deliveries to take Rajasthan home.
#5 Hit: Suryakumar Yadav
Yadav has been excellent for Mumbai Indians this season. He scored 43 and 28 in the first two games batting in the middle-order (at No. 4).
The team management decided to spring a surprise in the third game when they replaced Rohit Sharma with the former KKR man at the top of the order as the MI skipper dropped down to No. 4. He scored a fine 53 against DD in his first game as an opener.
He did fail in the last game falling for a golden duck but he came storming back in this game. After MI lost Lewis in the first over, Yadav took the responsibility of scoring quickly and batting for a long time.
The 27-year-old batsman from Mumbai batted beautifully as he made a superb 72 in 47 deliveries.
He struck six fours and three sixes as he stitched an excelled 129-run partnership with Kishan.
Yadav looked in fine touch as he nonchalantly whipped pacers through fine-leg and square-leg, attacked the spinners and also picked the gaps very well.
But after his dismissal in the 16th over, Mumbai lost track and ended up with just 167 in their 20 overs.