Yashasvi Jaiswal struck an unbeaten 77 off 32 balls, laced with 10 fours and four sixes, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added a rapid 39 off just 14 deliveries (one four and five maximums) as Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians by 27 runs in a rain-affected game at Guwahati. The contest was reduced to 11 overs per side, starting at 10:10 PM India time, and Rajasthan made the most of the early powerplay restrictions to post a commanding 150 for 3.
At a glance
- Jaiswal: 77* off 32 balls (10 fours, 4 sixes)
- Sooryavanshi: 39 off 14 balls (1 four, 5 sixes)
- Rajasthan Royals: 150/3 in 11 overs
- Mumbai Indians: 123/9 in 11 overs
- Result: Royals won by 27 runs
- Venue: Guwahati; match started at 10:10 PM (IST); rain-hit reduced to 11 overs
- Next for Royals: vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10 (final home game at this venue)
- Next for MI: vs RCB on April 12 at Wankhede Stadium
Rajasthan’s innings was built around an 80-run opening partnership that came in only five overs, leaving Mumbai with too many early setbacks. The Royals finished with momentum and pressure, while MI were restricted to 123 for 9, with the win lifting Rajasthan to the top of the points table.
The chase began with a stark contrast in tempo: Rajasthan raced to 59 without loss in 3.2 overs in the powerplay. The pair used the field settings aggressively, and the scoreboard reflected it—there were seven sixes struck by the openers during this phase alone.
Jaiswal set the tone immediately, smashing four boundaries and a six off Deepak Chahar in the opening over that yielded 22 runs. Sooryavanshi then turned the volume up against Jasprit Bumrah, picking up flicks and pulls to send down two effortless sixes off the premier fast bowler.
Trent Boult’s third over also went Rajasthan’s way, as the batting duo added three more sixes while pushing their total beyond the 50-mark. Hardik Pandya offered a brief pause with a four-run over in the fourth, but Sooryavanshi quickly resumed the assault, launching two sixes and a four off Shardul Thakur before being dismissed deep cover in the same over.
AM Ghazanfar was introduced in place of Mitchell Santner and managed to slow the flow briefly. He struck in his first over by removing Dhruv Jurel, conceding nine runs in that spell. Even with the breakthrough, MI still had a couple of Bumrah overs remaining, and the fast bowler was limited to a maximum of three deliveries’ worth of overs because of the format constraints.
Bumrah responded strongly after conceding 14 in his opening over, giving away only eight in his second. Pandya came back for his second spell and was hit for a boundary by Jaiswal, who moved to a 23-ball fifty and pushed Rajasthan beyond 100. Parag then struck the last ball of the over for a six, keeping the run-rate elevated.
Ghazanfar’s next over started with a four from Jaiswal and a six from Parag, but the Afghanistan spinner finished the over by removing the Royals captain, ending his stay. A maximum from Jaiswal off Bumrah in the 10th over marked another high point, and the bowler closed with figures of 0 for 32—his third straight match without a wicket.
Jaiswal completed the finishing touches with three more fours off Thakur, guiding Rajasthan to 150 for 3 in 11 overs.
MI chase: early wickets derail the chase
MI’s start looked nothing like Rajasthan’s, with early dismissals denying them any stable platform. Ryan Rickelton, after launching a six off Jofra Archer, was dismissed soon after for a miscue, and Suryakumar Yadav followed a similar pattern—caught in the deep after a misjudged pull, with the dismissal coming after he had tried a scoop-sweep for a six off Nandre Burger.
A review for Rohit Sharma did not change the outcome, as Sandeep Sharma once again got the better of the matchup. Sandeep conceded only three in his over, leaving MI struggling at 22 for 3.
Even with Tilak Varma striking a six off Tushar Deshpande, the powerplay produced just 30 runs for MI. The wicket tumble continued: Pandya fell to Ravi Bishnoi after a boundary, and Varma was dismissed later in the same over, reducing MI to 46 for 5 after five overs.
The required rate climbed above 18 by the end of the sixth over despite Naman Dhir finding a six and a four off Sandeep Sharma. Sherfane Rutherford, meanwhile, picked up a couple of fortunate moments—Jadeja missed a direct hit and Jaiswal dropped a catch—but that luck only bought a brief window of momentum.
Rutherford made it count with two sixes off Deshpande before falling to the same bowler. The chase then narrowed to a sprint scenario: MI needed 57 off 18 balls, and Dhir struck two fours off Burger. Still, Burger held his nerve, and the bowler’s discipline proved decisive at the death.
With 44 required off the last two overs, MI could not close the gap. Sandeep and Archer kept things quiet in the final stages, sealing the win for Rajasthan.
Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 150/3 in 11 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 77* off 32, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 39 off 14; AM Ghazanfar 2-21) beat Mumbai Indians 123/9 in 11 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 25 off 8, Naman Dhir 25 off 13; Sandeep Sharma 2-26) by 27 runs.
What next for the teams? Rajasthan remain in Guwahati for their last home game at this venue, facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10. Mumbai Indians head back home to play RCB at the Wankhede Stadium on April 12.
