IPL 2024: Jaiswal’s century assist, Sandeep’s fifer MI lost against RR by 9 wickets

At Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Monday night, the host Rajasthan Royals defeated the Mumbai Indians by nine wickets to end their home leg. Yashasvi Jaiswal then made a spectacular comeback from injury with figures of 5-18, the best by any bowler in this season’s IPL.

With their seventh convincing win in eight games, the Royals wrapped off their season in Jaipur, securing their top spot in the standings.

Following the Mumbai Indians’ moderate 180-run goal, which depended on a 99-run fifth-wicket partnership between Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera, Jaiswal completed Rajasthan’s chase with a boundary. Before the rain caused a 30-minute delay, Jaiswal was on 31 from 18 balls. He went on to turn his difficult season’s first fifty into a massive 104 not out from 60 balls.

Along with captain Sanju Samson, Jaiswal scored 109 runs in 65 deliveries and 74 runs in eight overs with the in-form Jos Buttler (35 from 25). The pivotal moment for Mumbai came on 19 when Tim David was given an unbelievable reprieve at midwicket. At fifty, Jaiswal had also suffered a major blow when Wadhera failed to hit a leading-edge swipe that went over the rope for six while hiding in deep cover.

Mumbai’s two best bowlers on Monday night summed up their performance. After being worked up by a first-ball slap for six, Gerald Coetzee bowled like the wind in his one Power-play over, obviously bothering Jaiswal with his speed of over 150 kph, particularly with a top-edged pull that went over the keeper for four.

He was given another over by Hardik Pandya, but it was too late; by then, the match was finished, and he again caused a well-positioned batter to misjudge.

Even though he bowled with unparalleled intensity upfront, including a two-run opening over to thwart Buttler’s early ambitions, Jasprit Bumrah was also held back too late in the chase, and his return over was unsuccessful. Bumrah’s most expensive over of an incredible season ended with Jaiswal smashing the rolled-over free hit for six to cap a 16-run over after a first ball no-ball and a second ball wide on height.

Prior to this, Sandeep Sharma wrecked havoc on the Mumbai Indians throughout their innings and returned with incredible statistics of 5-18, the greatest by an Indian bowler for the Royals. He also helped Rajasthan limit Mumbai to 179/9 upon his injury comeback, as just nine runs came from the last two overs.

Following early losses that saw them reduced to 45/3 in Power-play, Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera steadily restored the innings with a stand-alone partnership as Ravichandran Ashwin finished his four overs for 31 runs, losing his wicket for the second time in as many tournaments. Varma reached his 1000 runs in the IPL at the age of 21, 166 days, after reaching his fifty in 38 balls.

Prior to it, Yuzvendra Chahal became the first bowler in IPL history to achieve 200 wickets. Mohammad Nabi closed the face on the front foot as Chahal’s next delivery gripped on a decent length, and Chahal’s 200th IPL wicket came from a straightforward lob catch back into his waiting hands.

Only two other guys, Danny Briggs (219) and Samit Patel (208), both of whom participated in England’s T20 Blast, have amassed 200 wickets in a T20 tournament. After ten overs, Mumbai Indians were 72 for 4.

After returning with his third over of the period, Chahal was put into remand after being hit for 20 runs (the most costly of the inning) by Wadhera and Tilak. Wadhera decided to take the lead in the celebrations after Tilak hit his first ball six, scoring two more sixes in an extremely important over. After 16 overs, Mumbai was 151 for 4.

In his last over of the term, Boult returned to the attack and ended the significant 99-run partnership between Wadhera and Verma. Wadhera tried an uppercut in an effort to achieve his own fifty, but Trent Boult, who was back, outwitted him with a slower short ball.

Nehal Wadhera scored 49 in 24 deliveries before being out. Avesh Khan struck just when he needed to, sending Hardik Pandya flailing to the off-side and nailing him squarely in the face with a quick full-toss. The skipper of the Mumbai Indians was out for ten runs per ball.

Avesh bowled a brilliant over, yielding only six runs. One ball after Avesh hit the ideal length, Varma holed out to deep mid-on on the first ball of Sandeep’s last over. Varma scored 65 in 45 deliveries before being removed.

Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 183/1 in 18.4 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 104 not out, Sanju Samson 38 not out, Piyush Chawla 33-1) defeated Mumbai Indians 179/9 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 65, Nehal Wadhera 49; Sandeep Sharma 5-18, Trent Boult 2-32) by nine wickets.