Yashasvi Jaiswal showcased his batting prowess with an unbeaten 104 as Rajasthan Royals asserted their dominance at the top of the IPL table, thrashing Mumbai Indians by nine wickets on Monday.
The medium-pace prowess of Sandeep Sharma, who claimed remarkable figures of 5-18, combined with Yuzvendra Chahal’s historic milestone of 200 IPL wickets at Rajasthan’s home ground in Jaipur, set the stage for Mumbai’s total of 179-9.
Jaiswal, a left-handed opener, delivered a masterclass in batting, guiding Rajasthan to victory in 18.4 overs amidst intermittent rain interruptions. Reflecting on his stellar performance, Jaiswal remarked, “I really enjoyed from the start and I made sure I was watching the ball properly and playing proper cricketing shots. I’m trying to do what I am doing well, some days it comes good and some days it doesn’t, I’m not thinking much.”
Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural IPL champions in 2008 under the leadership of Shane Warne, continued their impressive form by securing their seventh win in eight matches.
Jaiswal’s splendid century, his second in IPL and both against Mumbai Indians, comprised nine fours and seven sixes in a dazzling 60-ball innings. He formed a formidable partnership of 109 runs with skipper Sanju Samson, who contributed 38 runs to the chase.
While Chahal celebrated his milestone, Sandeep Sharma’s exceptional five-wicket haul stole the spotlight, earning him the well-deserved title of the man of the match. Despite Chahal’s feat, Sharma’s decisive performance, including three wickets in the final over, proved instrumental in Rajasthan’s victory.
Jos Buttler, substituted for Chahal as an impact player, made a swift start with two boundaries in the opening over by Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya, who marked his 100th IPL match.
Pandya, who has faced challenges this season after assuming captaincy, emphasized the need for introspection and improvement post-match, stating, “What we can do is learn from this game and the mistakes which we have made, rectify it and make sure that we don’t repeat it.”
Jaiswal and Buttler’s aggressive batting propelled Rajasthan to 61-0 in six overs before rain halted play briefly. Following the interruption, Buttler fell to Piyush Chawla for 35, but Jaiswal remained resolute, steering Rajasthan to a comfortable victory alongside Samson.
