IPL 2024 has pushed bowlers to the sidelines with the batters stealing all the limelight. But during Rajasthan Royals' last home game of the season, it was the bowlers who set up the win before batters finished off the easy win.
Sandeep Sharma, returning from injury, stole the show with sizzling figures, while Trent Boult once again delivered with the crucial breakthroughs.
Unlike the Royals, the Mumbai bowlers had a tough outing on the field.
The best spells of the match:
Trent Boult
Boult once again won his battle against Rohit Sharma, dismissing the Mumbai opener for just six in the very first over.
Opening the attack with the new ball, Boult gave away a couple on the first ball, followed by a boundary as Rohit got a thick edge along the ground. Rohit may have gotten off the blocks quickly, but Boult had other plans as he struck on only the fifth delivery of the match.
Rohit looking to go for the bit hit, skied it and Sanju Samson settled under it to send the former MI skipper back for just 6 off 5. Boult conceded just six and picked up a wicket in his very first over.
In his second over, Suryakumar Yadav collected two boundaries as Boult leaked 11 runs. But bowling his third over in the Powerplay itself, Boult made amends as he conceded just six.
Boult then returned in the 17th over to finish his spell and hand RR the much needed breakthrough. With Nehal Wadhera and Tilak Varma going strong, Samson brought Boult back into the attack. And he struck on the very first ball to deny Wadhera his half-century.
A slow bouncer, wide of Wadhera. Failing to middle the upper cut, Wadhera found Sandeep Sharma at short third man to depart for 49 off 24.
Sandeep Sharma
Returning from injury, Sandeep Sharma put up a brilliant display as he turned in his best figures in T20 cricket. Not only that, Sandeep's 5/18 is the best bowling figure in the current IPL season.
Mumbai had opted to bat first with the thought there would be no dew. On the contrary, there was enough movement on the dry surface to help the Royals keep the opposition in check.
Sandeep's first victim of the night was Ishan Kishan. Sharing the new ball with Boult, Sharma ended the MI opener's innings early as he departed for a caught behind, falling for a third ball duck. Looking to hit Sandeep's wide delivery, Kishan edged it to Samson behind the stumps.
Though not given early, a confident Samson took to review and Ultraedge showed there was a spike, ending Kishan's innings before he opened his account.
In his second over, after Suryakumar Yadav had hit Boult for a flurry of boundaries in the previous over, Sandeep put an end to SKY's innings. Striking on the first ball of the fourth over, Sharma's scrambled seam on middle saw Surya looking to whip it away, but SKY skied it high and Rovman Powell, settling under it at mid-on, gave Sandeep his second wicket of the evening. It was an even better over, as he conceded just a single and picked up a wicket.
Sandeep then bore the brunt of Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera's assault as he leaked 11 runs in his next over, denting his figures slightly.
But he saved his best for the last over.
With Tilak Varma threatening to take the score past 200, Sharma struck with the first ball of the final over to end Tilak's innings. Sharma made it two in two, dismissing new batter Gerald Coetzee on the very next delivery. Though he missed out on the hat-trick -- he once again struck on the fifth delivery of the 20th over to remove big-hitting Tim David and pick up his fifer. This is the third fifer of the season.
Sandeep Sharma: 5/18, RR vs MI
Jasprit Bumrah: 5/21, MI vs RCB
Yash Thakur: 5/30, LSG vs GT
T Natarajan: 4/19, DC vs SRH
Matheesha Pathirana: 4/28, CSK vs MI
R Sai Kishore: 4/33, GT vs PBKS
MI Vs RR: Who Bowled The Best Spell? Vote!
