"Haan bhai pata hai"- Rajasthan Royals react with a hilarious meme after Mumbai Indians remind them of the iconic game from 2014
On this day in 2014, the Mumbai Indians (MI) played one of the most memorable games in IPL history against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), where the former chased 195 in 14.4 overs to qualify for the playoffs. Aditya Tare pulled off a miracle with a six off the ball from James Faulkner, making MI go through to the knockouts based on net run rate.
While MI reminded fans of their iconic achievement, the Royals had a hilarious reaction to MI's original post.
The RR-MI clash from 2014 was the last group game of the season, with both teams jostling for the final playoff spot. The Royals started the game with a better net run rate, and hence, MI not only had to win their final game; they had to secure victory with a good margin.
Batting first, the Rajasthan Royals setup a more than competitive total of 189-4. For MI to qualify, they needed to chase the target between 14.1 to 14.4 overs, depending on how much more they could get.
With the score at 189 after 14.3 overs, MI needed at least a boundary of the next delivery to qualify. Aditya Tare, facing his first ball of the match, did one better by smashing a six over square leg to seal Mumbai's place in the playoffs. Corey Anderson remained not out at the other end with 95 off 44 balls.
Rajasthan Royals placed at the fifth spot before IPL 2021 got suspended
The Rajasthan Royals, led by Sanju Samson, had a mixed bag of a campaign before the 14th edition of the IPL was called off due to breaches in various teams' bio-bubbles. The Rajasthan side were placed in fifth spot with three wins out of seven games.
The Royals certainly benefitted from the postponement of the IPL as they were missing their key players like Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes through injury, while Liam Livingstone and Andrew Tye returned home due to personal reasons.
With the second phase of the IPL likely to resume in September, the Rajasthan Royals will hope to have their key personnel available for the business end of the season.