In a thrilling encounter in the IPL match, pace bowler Trent Boult delivered a remarkable performance, claiming figures of 3-22 to propel Rajasthan Royals to a commanding six-wicket victory over the winless Mumbai Indians on Monday.
Boult’s exceptional spell of left-arm pace proved instrumental in limiting the hosts Mumbai to a modest total of 125-9. Rajasthan chased down the target with 27 balls to spare, securing their third win of the season in as many matches.
Despite Mumbai Indians naming Hardik Pandya as captain in place of veteran Rohit Sharma, they faced their third consecutive loss, remaining at the bottom of the 10-team table.
Pandya, who faced jeers from the home fans during the toss, expressed disappointment after the defeat, admitting that his dismissal hindered Mumbai’s progress.
“I wanted to counter, we were in a decent position to get us around 150-160,” Pandya remarked. “But my wicket allowed them to get back more into the game, I needed to do a lot more.”
Meanwhile, Rajasthan’s Riyan Parag showcased his batting prowess with an unbeaten 54 off 39 balls, guiding his team to victory with two sixes and a four.
The dominance of Rajasthan’s bowlers was evident, with Boult’s impactful opening spell complemented by Yuzvendra Chahal’s impressive figures of 3-11 with his leg-spin.
Boult’s early breakthroughs, including the dismissals of Rohit Sharma, Naman Dhir, and Brevis, set the tone for Rajasthan’s strong performance. Mumbai found themselves struggling at 20-4 within four overs.
Despite a resilient partnership between Tilak Varma and Pandya, Rajasthan maintained control, with Chahal eventually breaking the stand by dismissing Pandya.
In the end, Mumbai Indians managed to play out their 20 overs, but it was Boult’s brilliance and Rajasthan’s collective effort that secured the victory, reaffirming their position as formidable contenders in the IPL.
