Mumbai Indians humiliate Rajasthan Royals to go top of the table

MI bowled RR for a mere 117 in Jaipur © Sportzpics
Mumbai Indians flexed their big batting muscles to amass 217 for 2 and then knocked Rajasthan Royals out of playoffs contention with a 100-run statement victory in Jaipur. MI brought the oft-used cliche of 'peaking at the right time' to life as they added a sixth successive W to their incredible run that has catapulted them to the top of the table while enhancing their NRR. This was also the 17th time they scored a 200-plus total batting first in the IPL, and the 17th time they defended it successfully.

Where the game was won?

In a decimation of this magnitude, MI were levels above RR in every single phase of the game, with the hosts barely lasting apart from the last pair with the bat. The stark difference was still visible in the wickets column of the two PowerPlays. MI survived a shaky start to set themselves up for a flourish throughout while RR crumbled spectacularly under the mountain of runs staring at them.

The PowerPlay difference

Parameters MI RR
Score 58/0 62/5
Run-rate 9.66 10.33
4s/6s 8/2 7/3
Mumbai Indians

PowerPlay: Watchful start, carefree finish

Phase score - 58/0 [RR: 9.66, 4s/6s: 8/2]

Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton navigated MI's PowerPlay of two contrasting halves. The opening three overs were marked by caution and tentativeness as strong winds swept across the ground, aiding sharp lateral movement for Jofra Archer and Fazalhaq Farooqi. Rohit narrowly survived a close LBW appeal, saved by a late and uncertain review that revealed the ball had pitched just outside leg stump. MI managed only 16 runs in those first three overs. Then, the momentum shifted. Rickelton sparked the turnaround with a wristy flick for six over deep square leg off Farooqi, followed by a confident pull off a short delivery. Rohit followed suit, producing one of the shots of the match - stepping outside leg stump to cut a 147 kmph Archer delivery between backward point and short third man for four. Rickelton added a four and a six to make it an 18-run fifth over. The pair capped off the PowerPlay in style with three successive boundaries off Maheesh Theekshana, bringing up just the second 50-plus opening partnership for MI this season.

Middle-overs: The batting juggernaut rolls on

Phase score - 88/2 [RR: 9.77, 4s/6s: 12/1]

The carnage spilled deep into the middle overs as Rohit and Rickelton took the attack to two former MI bowlers - Kumar Kartikeya and Akash Madhwal, who were forced inclusions for the ill Wanindu Hasaranga and the injured Sandeep Sharma. Even their dismissals, both against the run of play to Theekshana and Riyan Parag, did little to slow MI's momentum. Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya seamlessly picked up where the openers left off, sustaining a scoring rate close to 10 an over. When Farooqi returned for his third over, the new pair punished him with three boundaries. Madhwal offered some brief relief, conceding just seven runs in the over leading into the death.

Death-overs: MI up the brutality

Phase score - 71/0 [RR: 14.20, 4s/6s: 6/4]

Flicks, pulls, and audacious ramps were all on full display as Suryakumar and Hardik elevated the brutality in the death overs. The duo dismantled everything in their path, with only a single sub-double-digit over. Theekshana bore the brunt in the 16th, starting with a fierce drive from Hardik that struck his hand and raced away for four. The Sri Lankan recovered well through the over, but a final-ball full toss was dispatched over fine leg by Suryakumar for six.

Archer began the 17th with sharp yorkers and pinpoint full lengths, but as MI's finishers have shown throughout the tournament, the margin for error is razor-thin. A slight variation - a slower, short-of-length ball, was enough for Suryakumar to muscle it over fine leg. Farooqi's return in the 18th saw Hardik explode, smashing him down the ground and to both sides of the wicket in a 21-run over. Archer returned with renewed intensity, cranking up the pace and restricting the pair to just eight runs in the 19th despite an early boundary. Madhwal almost followed suit in the final over, landing three accurate yorkers for just two runs. But Hardik latched onto a low full toss for four, and Suryakumar sealed the carnage with a straight six. Both finished on an identical 48* (23).

Rajasthan Royals

PowerPlay: Early collapse and derailment in chase

Phase score - 62/5 [RR: 10.33, 4s/6s: 7/3]

RR's newest centurion Vaibhav Suryavanshi fell for a second-ball duck when he mistimed a shot to Will Jacks at mid-on, giving Deepak Chahar his eighth PowerPlay wicket of the season. With the pressure to score quickly early on, RR took risks that didn't pay off. Yashasvi Jaiswal first fell in the second over while attempting to take on Trent Boult. A brief flicker of resistance came from Nitish Rana and Riyan Parag, but that too was short-lived. Boult had Rana caught by Tilak Varma at deep square leg, and Jasprit Bumrah followed up with a double-wicket over, removing Parag and Shimron Hetmyer with short deliveries. RR slumped to 62 for 5 at the end of six overs, becoming the first team this season to lose half their side inside the PowerPlay.

Middle-overs: More of the same as RR continue to spiral

Phase score - 51/4 [RR: 5.66, 4s/6s: 3/3]

MI chose to be relentless in all phases with both bat and ball as Hardik dismissed impact substitute Shubham Dubey in the eighth over. MI's impact sub - Karn Sharma - then walked in to dismiss Dhruv Jurel in his first over - the ninth - to leave RR down to 76 for 7. Karn then tried to trigger a swift finish with the wickets of Theekshana and Kartikeya in an over to push the hosts down to 91 for 9. Archer threw his bat around briefly to drag his side past the 100-run mark, but that's as far as the consolation went for the home team.

Death overs: Boult wraps it up

Phase score - 4/1 in 7 balls

Such was the abject nature of RR's riposte that Archer's 30 was the best effort in their sorry scorecard. Boult ended that seven balls into the death overs to wrap up the big victory.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 217/2 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 61, Rohit Sharma 53, Suryakumar Yadav 48, Hardik Pandya 48) beat Rajasthan Royals 117 in 16.1 overs (Jofra Archer 30; Trent Boult 3-28, Karn Sharma 3-23, Jasprit Bumrah 2-15) by 100 runs

What next?

MI return home where they host top-four aspirants GT on May 6. A vanquished RR next head to Kolkata to take on KKR on May 4.