Despite Yashasvi Jaiswal's stunning maiden century in the Indian Premier League, Rajasthan Royals fell short against Mumbai Indians in the 1000th match of the tournament.
Jaiswal smashed 16 fours and eight sixes in his knock of 124 runs from just 62 balls, single-handedly powering his team to the big total.
The 21-year-old, who also recorded the highest score of this IPL and took his tally past 400 runs this season, particularly enjoyed facing Australian pacer Riley Meredith, hitting half of his fours and a six against him. Despite the other Royals batters failing to provide support from the other end, Jaiswal ensured that the run-rate never dropped.
Jaiswal started his innings with a solid opening partnership of 72 runs with Jos Buttler, who contributed 18 runs. He hit a six each off Cameron Green and Jofra Archer in the first couple of overs to provide RR with the early momentum. He then hit four fours in an over from Meredith to take RR past 50 inside five overs, as they finished the powerplay at a strong 65 for no loss.
Although MI pacer Jofra Archer, who had recently undergone a minor surgery on his right elbow, looked to be hitting his straps early on, his efforts were in vain as Jaiswal continued his onslaught.
Throughout his innings, Jaiswal displayed great composure and skill as he relentlessly attacked the Mumbai Indians bowlers. He played every shot from the textbook, including elegant cover drives, powerful pull shots, and deft cuts.
It was evident that Jaiswal was completely in the zone during his innings. He was seeing the ball perfectly and was able to pick the right deliveries to hit. He showed great maturity and patience, biding his time before unleashing his aggressive shots.
Despite wickets falling around him, Jaiswal never lost his composure and kept the scoreboard ticking.
Jaiswal's innings was crucial for the Rajasthan Royals, as he single-handedly pushed the team's score beyond the 200-run mark. He was the backbone of the Royals' batting line-up and kept the scoreboard chugging along with regular boundaries and singles. He was rightfully awarded the Man of the Match for his efforts.
