Mumbai Indians finally ended their 8-match losing streak in IPL 2022 as they rode on Suryakumar Yadav’s brilliant fifty to chase down 159 against Rajasthan Royals at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. On Rohit Sharma’s 35th birthday, MI shrugged off their horror run and registered 2 points, thereby stopping Rajasthan Royals’ 3-match winning run.
Sanju Samson’s men suffered only their 3rd defeat in 9 matches and are still in the top 3 while MI are rooted to the bottom with just 1 win in their first 9 matches. Despite the victory, MI’s chances of reaching the playoffs all but over.
The youngsters did it for captain Rohit Sharma on his 35th birthday. Hritik Shokeen, the young off-spinner, conceded 4 sixes in an over to Jos Buttler but got the big wicket of the England batter for 67. Debutant Kumar Karttikeya, who replaced Jaydev Unadkat, picked up a wicket and gave away just 19 runs in 4 overs removed captain Sanju Samson while Riley Meredith picked up 2 for 24 as the Royals made only 158 for 6.
IPL 2022 Poins Table
ROHIT FLOPS
Rohit Sharma continued his lean run of form and fell to R Ashwin in the third over of the innings as MI chased 159 for their first win of the season. Rohit has had a horror run in the IPL this year and he would have wanted to make a mark on his birthday but that wasn’t to be as he top-edged an attempted sweep to Daryl Mitchell stationed next to the leg umpire.
RR vs MI, IPL 2022 Highlights
Ishan Kishan looked promising but he fell to Trent Boult for an 18-ball 26 before MI’s in-form batters Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma came to the crease with the five-time champions at 41 for 2 off 5.4 overs.
SURYA AND TILAK SHINE
Suryakumar and Tilak, the two in-form batters, stitched an 81-run stand to put Mumbai in command. However, MI lost Suryakumar Yadav (51) in the 15th over bowled by Yuzveendra Chahal as the star batter tried to clear the long-off fence. In the very next over, Prasidh Krishna took out Tilak who managed 30-ball 35.
There were a few nervy moments for the MI fans at the DY Patil Stadium but Tim David, who returned to their side after spending considerable time warming the benches, came up with a quickfire xx to help Mumbai cross the finish line.
The knock would have given Tim David a lot of confidence as he was snubbed after just 3 games, helping raise eyebrows as he was bought for Rs 8.25 crore.
The chase went to the last over and Kieron Pollard, who was struggling to put bat to ball, fell in the first delivery for 10 off 14 but Daniel Sams got the job done for the 5-time champions with a six off the very next delivery.
BUTTLER AGAIN
Jos Buttler, the Orange Cap holder this season, did not get off to a typically explosive start but he still finished brilliantly. Devdutt Padikkal was dismissed by Hrithik Shokeen in the fifth over while RR skipper Sanju Samson fell to MI debutant Kumar Kartikeya after scoring 16 off just 7.
It was a strange kind of innings from the Royals. Daryl Mitchell and Riyan Parag did not contribute much and Shimron Hetmyer did not hit a single boundary in his 6 not out off 14 balls.
Jos Buttler was watchful for the better part of the innings but he cut loose in the 16th over and hit Shokeen for four successive sixes before being caught at long-off.
R Ashwin came in at No.7 and hit 21 off 9 balls to take RR to 158 for 6.
Shokeen picked 2 wickets in his 3 overs but he conceded 47 runs. Riley Meredith was MI’s best bowl