IPL 2020: Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings after MI vs RR match (Updated)
Suryakumar Yadav’s highest IPL score and an all-round bowling performance helped the Mumbai Indians (MI) win their third successive match in IPL 2020. The 4-time IPL champions climbed to the top of the points table as they beat the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 57 runs in Match 20 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Rohit Sharma called it right at the toss and opted to bat first in order to maximise the freshness of an otherwise sluggish wicket. Led by a blitzkrieg of 35 off 23 balls from their captain, MI got off to a flying start before leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal pulled things back for RR by removing Rohit and the in-form Ishan Kishan off successive deliveries.
The final flourish, however, proved to be the difference. Suryakumar Yadav (79 off 47 balls) and Hardik Pandya (30 off 19 balls) stitched 76 runs off just 36 deliveries for the fifth wicket to power the defending champions to 193 for 4.
In reply, the Royals got off to the worst possible start as they lost their first three wickets to the MI pace attack for a meagre 12 runs. Even though Jos Buttler scored a whirlwind 70 off 44 balls, the fact that the next highest score was Jofra Archer’s 24 spoke volumes of the choke the MI bowlers applied from the onset to eventually bundle out RR for 136.
Suryakumar Yadav breaks into the top 10; 3 MI bowlers in the top 4 of the bowling charts
Suryakumar Yadav’s first half-century in IPL 2020 not only lifted MI to the summit of the points table, but also catapulted him to the sixth position on the IPL 2020 Orange Cap list. Yadav, who was adjudged the Man of the Match, is one run behind fifth-placed Shreyas Iyer with an aggregate of 180 runs from six matches.
His captain, Rohit Sharma, is one slot below the top 3 after his quickfire 23-ball 35 made him the fourth batsman to cross the 200-run mark in IPL 2020. He has scored 211 runs at an average of 35.16 so far. On the other hand, RR batsman Sanju Samson fell out of the top 10 after accumulating just 12 runs from the last three games.
There were, however, wholesale changes on the IPL 2020 Purple Cap list. Five of the six bowlers used by MI skipper Rohit Sharma tonight were among the wickets. Trent Boult (2 for 26) and James Pattinson (2 for 19) picked up two wickets apiece, while Jasprit Bumrah returned figures of 4 for 20 from four overs.
Bumrah’s career-best IPL figures helped him rocket to the second position on the list – a solitary wicket behind leader Kagiso Rabada’s tally of 12 wickets from six matches. Consistent performances have been helping the overseas duo of Pattinson and Boult rapidly climb up the rungs.
While Boult’s figures took him to the bronze-medal position with 10 wickets from the six matches played so far, the Aussie speedster is one spot below him on 9 wickets. Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar scalped only a solitary wicket tonight, and he is in eighth position with 7 wickets to his name.
The focus will stay on Abu Dhabi as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Wednesday. While Faf du Plessis would aim to snatch the Orange Cap from KL Rahul, KKR’s Shubman Gill would look to get back into contention for the coveted award.
Check out IPL 2020 schedule