Mumbai Indians (MI) stormed to a mammoth 217/2 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, matching the joint-highest IPL total at the venue, and broke their 13-year winless streak in Jaipur in style.
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Century Opening Stand Sets the Tone
- MI’s innings began with a dominant opening partnership between Rohit Sharma (53) and Ryan Rickelton (61).
- The pair added 109 runs, laying a solid foundation before Rickelton departed in the 12th over.
- Rickelton was particularly impressive on the leg side, scoring 34 of his first 51 runs in just nine deliveries using his short-arm pulls and clean swings.
SKY and Hardik Light Up the Death Overs
After the opening duo’s dismissal, the fireworks didn’t stop. In fact, they intensified:
- Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya stitched together a blistering unbeaten 94-run partnership off just 44 balls.
- SKY’s 48 off 23 balls* included his trademark inventive shots and an IPL record — his 11th consecutive score of 25 or more.
- One of the standout moments came in the 19th over, when he turned a Jofra Archer yorker into a full-toss and somehow sent it racing over short fine for four — all while falling over.
- Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, stayed deep in his crease and punished anything that missed the blockhole. He matched SKY’s aggression with some ruthless boundary-hitting, finishing with a quickfire 48 off 25 balls*.
Tactical Brilliance
- MI’s approach was full of intent and clarity. Rohit seemed to be back in vintage touch, manipulating field placements and taking on both pace and spin with smart movement around the crease.
- Rajasthan Royals struggled to adapt, with their bowlers missing their lengths and allowing MI’s batters to dominate across all phases of the innings.
With this performance, Mumbai Indians look like a resurgent force in IPL 2025, peaking at the right time.
Also Read : MI Sign Legspinner Raghu Sharma as Replacement for Injured Vignesh Puthur
