RR vs MI, as it happened: Gowtham’s blitzkrieg takes Rajasthan to thrilling three-wicket win

Archer (Man of the Match): It is nice to be back on the park after missing the first few games. We just wanted to restrict them after it looked like they would get to 180.

Rahane: I still can’t believe what happened. I just want to give credit to my bowlers for the way they came back after 14 overs because it looked like Mumbai would get to 180-190. In the time-out the plan was to take it deep.

Rohit Sharma: Not easy. Have to give credit to them. Not easy to score 10 an over given how the wicket was playing. I think (the death overs) hurt us. It’s the second or third time we have done that. We needed to be smarter when they were slowing the pace down. It is not easy, which is the reason why I haven’t been critical about my bowling unit. Twenty more runs more would have made the difference.

Samson says: It’s the man who wins the match for the team that matters. Very happy for Gowtham. Winning the game is the most important thing for me. Would not have mattered if I scored a fifty and got the orange cap in a losing cause. I need to finish games for my team, which I will try to do next time.

Gowtham: I had a decent first-class season. The only thing I had in my mind was what my captain was saying ‘believe.’

What a Sunday it was. The fans couldn’t have asked for more as they got two last-over finishes. Pandya and Bumrah, two India internationals, were poor at the death after the latter had pulled things back with a terrific over. Gowtham showed nerves of steel and picked his slots like a veteran finisher. It was Archer’s death bowling that set things up for the home side. Mumbai were looking set for a score in excess of 200. Another heart-breaking loss for Rohit Sharma and Mumbai.

RR 166/7 in 19.4 Overs RAJASTHAN WIN!! Incredible knock from Gowtham, who remains unbeaten on 33 from 11 deliveries. Pandya’s slow delivery was carted many a row back over the deep mid-wicket boundary. Another last-over loss for Rohit Sharma and Co. Poor choice by Pandya in the death. But this is Gowtham’s moment. He took his side home almost single-handedly.

RR 158/7 in 19.1 Overs

OUT! Archer’s stay comes to an end as Hardik Pandya’s short ball rushes onto him. The ball was skied up in the air and the bowler takes the catch. More twists.
J Archer c & b H Pandya 8 (9)

RR 158/6 in 18 Overs RAJASTHAN ARE BACK! 18 from the over! Gowtham gets two boundaries and a two and the Sawai Mansingh stadium is on its feet. The Karnataka all-rounder proves his weight in gold throwing his bat at Bumrah. The pacer was poor during his delivery strike once again, over-stepping once again. Archer started the over by pinging the ball through the off-side ring and gets a boundary. He follows that up with a couple and a single.

RR 140/6 in 18 Overs
SIX! Gowtham slogs and times it well as Mustafizur goes slightly full. Gowtham also gets a lucky boundary the next. The Bangladeshi was also penalised for a no-ball during the over. 15 from the over and this has the potential for a last-ball finish.

RR 125/6 in 17.1 Overs

OUT! Oh, they are falling like nine pins. Klaasen fends at a trademark Mustafizur cutter and ends up nicking it to Kishan behind the stumps. What a comeback by Mumbai, dishing out as good as they got when they were batting.
H Klaasen c Kishan b Mustafizur 0 (1)

RR 125/5 in 17 Overs

OUT! BUMRAH ON A HAT-TRICK! That was quick and came back in and Buttler had very little time to respond. Top stuff from Bumrah, who cleans up the off stump of the Englishman.
J Buttler b Bumrah 6 (8)

RR 125/4 in 16.2 Overs

OUT! Probably Rohit Sharma’s last throw of the dice and Bumrah responds. Samson goes big and doesn’t get any distance on the shot. Hardik Pandya at deep mid-wicket takes a safe catch. Pressure on Rajasthan.
S Samson c H Pandya b Bumrah 52 (39)

RR 124/3 in 16 Overs
Just six runs from the Krunal Pandya over and the pressure is back on Rajasthan. The run rate is steadily creeping up. Meanwhile, Samson has completed his half-century. Over to you, Buttler.

RR 118/3 in 15 Overs

Samson continues to get the odd boundary and release the pressure on his teammates. He is nearing his fifty but nearly ran himself out with a risky double. The home side need 50 from the last five overs.

RR 110/3 in 14.1 Overs

OUT! It couldn’t have come at a better time. Stokes misses his flick and Pandya’s yorker clips the leg stump. Classic “you miss, I hit” situation. The game is a 50-50 one once again.
B Stokes b H Pandya 40 (27)

RR 110/2 in 14 Overs
Stokes is in fine form and Rohit Sharma would have now started to think what it would take to break this partnership. The runs have been coming thick and fast in the last few overs – 40 from the last four. Samson is timing the ball ever so sweetly and the Englishman is using his feet well.

RR 96/2 in 12 Overs

The fifty partnership comes up between Samson and Stokes! It’s been a steady partnership with both batsmen not really pursuing the big hits. Stokes and Samson completed two aggressive twos during the over. Krunal Pandya, under pressure, also conceded a couple of wides.

RR 86/2 in 11 Overs
SIX! Stokes thumps McClenaghan over the fine leg fence for a maximum and then creams the Kiwi through cover for a four. A much-needed big over for Rajasthan just as I was saying that Mumbai had put the brakes on the scoring rate. The left-armer’s attempted slow ball went horribly wrong as Stokes got into position early.

RR 70/2 in 10 Overs

Mumbai have pulled things back in the last couple of overs, frustrating Stokes and Samson. Pandya gives away seven runs from his first. Rajasthan need 98 from the last 10 overs – they need to get a move on with the score.

RR 58/2 in 8 Overs
Samson carries on with his risk-free game. Mustafizur, though, comes back well conceding just five runs off it. Mumbai need a wicket or two soon. Time-out called.

RR 53/2 in 7 Overs
Stokes kicks into gear. Markande is brought into the attack and Stokes goes after him, bludgeoning him through the off-side ring and deploying the reverse sweep. Samson is steady, he knows how important his wicket is at this juncture.

RR 38/2 in 5.4 Overs
OUT! Another soft dismissal. To be fair on Rahane, McClenaghan had bowled a clever cutter, bringing the ball in. Smart field placement by Rohit Sharma and Krunal Pandya at short mid-wicket pouches it.

RR 36/1 in 5 Overs
Rahane gets into the groove with a cut shot through the point region and it’s a boundary. The batsmen are not taking any risks so far and the run rate is steady.

RR 27/1 in 4 Overs
The Samson show is gathering pace. The 23-year-old plays a couple of stylish drives on the off side to ease the pressure. Rahane is happy giving his younger teammate the strike. Rajasthan are steady.

RR 14/1 in 2.2 Overs
OUT! Oh dear, what have you done Tripathi? It was a lazy effort to clear the infield and Suryakumar at mid-on takes a simple catch.
R Tripathi c Yadav b K Pandya 9 (8)

RR 9/0 in 1 over
Four! Tripathi is promoted up the order and in come the runs: he scores a boundary with a flick off McClenaghan to the fine-leg fence. Rajasthan off to a fine start and Tripathi is striking the ball well.

MI finish at 167/7 in 20 Overs
Stokes bowls a no-ball and the free-hit was dispatched to the fence for a four. Apart from that, the Englishman bowled a decent last over. Overall, Rajasthan were brilliant in the final overs and Rahane will be mighty pleased with his side’s effort. Archer made a stunning debut.

MI 158/7 in 18.4 Overs

OUT! Another brilliant yorker! Easy pickings for Archer, who picks up his third with yet another screamer that gave McClenaghan no chance. This time, it’s the off stump that goes for a walk. What a comeback this has been!
M McClenaghan 0 (1)

MI 158/6 in 18.4 Overs

OUT! Oh, and they keep on falling like nine pins! Archer uproots the middle stump as Pandya can’t get his bat down quickly enough.
H Pandya b Archer 4 (2)

MI 153/5 in 18.1 Overs
OUT! There goes another one as Krunal Pandya tries to clear the stadium, Klaasen runs in from the deep and takes a safe catch. The wickets keep on tumbling. Archer gets into the wickets column.
K Pandya c Klaasen b Archer 7 (6)

MI 153/4 in 18 Overs
SIX! Pollard breaks the shackles by reading a slow delivery well and muscling the ball down the ground for a maximum. It looked six from the moment it left his bat. Good comeback by Unadkat in the over. The left-armer arguably had his best day with the ball today. He finishes with figures of 1/31.

MI 141/4 in 17 Overs
Those three wickets have put the brakes on the scoring. Krunal Pandya and Pollard have not gone for their shots yet. Rajasthan need to cash in on this.

MI 136/4 in 15.4 Overs

OUT! ANOTHER BIG ONE. The wheels are coming off for Mumbai as Rohit goes for a push and run but it goes horribly wrong and Rahane breaks the stumps. There was never a single there and Rajasthan are certainly back in this...and how.

MI 135/3 in 15.2 Overs

OUT! Rajasthan are back as Mumbai batsmen decide to tease the clouds once again. The Jaipur crowd is on its feet as like Kishan, Yadav goes big, doesn’t get the distance and Buttler takes a safe catch.
I Kishan c Buttler b Unadkat 58 (42)

MI 135/2 in 15 Overs
OUT! Dhawal Kulkarni gets the breakthrough once again as Kishan tries to get cute but the ball doesn’t go the distance. It was a fine knock and possibly, a match-winning partnership.
I Kishan c Buttler b Kulkarni 58 (42)

MI 121/1 in 13 Overs
Ishan Kishan also completes his fifty! What a way to show his grit and class after suffering a nasty injury in the previous game. The partnership has crossed the 120-mark and Rajasthan get a much needed time-out. Rahane needs a miracle.

MI 104/1 in 11 Overs
Dropped! It’s going from bad to worse for Rajasthan as Gowtham spoons what should have been a regulation catch at long-on. The hundred partnership is also up and it has come in just 61 ball. No luck for Stokes in the over, which also saw him being hit for a boundary with yet another stylish Suryakumar flick. Mumbai look set for a 200-plus score.

MI 93/1 in 10 Overs

Suryakumar Yadav completes fifty! And he brings it up with a stylish six off Gopal, thumping it over the extra cover fence to get to his landmark in just 29 balls. Then Kishan goes after the leggie, muscling the ball over the shorter boundary on his leg side. 18 from the over and Rahane is helpless.

MI 75/1 in 9 Overs
Kishan in good touch. The left-hander goes after Ben Stokes straightaway with a flick for a six that would have made Brian Lara proud. Front leg out and the roll of the wrists – ah, that shot had everything. Mumbai’s run spree continues, 11 from the over.

MI 64/1 in 8 Overs
Kishan and Suryakumar are in cruise control and the latter has breezed into his forties. Kishan is not getting stuck anymore and is rotating the strike diligently. Gopal, who has been parsimonious throughout this tournament, was taken for 12 runs in the over.

MI 43/1 in 6 Overs
Suryakumar on song. There is no stopping the Mumbai strokemaker as drives magnificently down the ground for another four, Unadkat is the victim. The left-armer, though, pulls things back by conceding only from the next five.

MI 35/1 in 5 Overs

SIXES! 18 from the over! Suryakumar ones again uses the flick to great effect, easily dispatching it over the long-leg fence. Kishan, meanwhile, has had enough. He steps out against Kulkarni and tonks it way over the long-on fence. Before that delivery, the young southpaw was struggling, and had just two runs from 10 deliveries. He ends the over with a slash over point for a four.

MI 17/1 in 4 Overs
Four! Yadav was looking for a flick and the ball crashed onto his groin while going for a flick. However, he gets it right off the next ball. It has been a steady start for Archer, whose run-up and delivery stride is taking the batsmen by surprise.

MI 11/1 in 3 Overs
Rajasthan continue to put the brakes on the scoring as Rahane has opted for a mix of pace and spin. Suryakumar is up and away with a powerful six over long-on. Jofra Archer is handed the ball and there is a buzz in the stands.

MI 1/1 in 1 Over
OUT! What a start for Kulkarni and Rajasthan and off goes Evin Lewis. The West Indian goes for a big booming drive and has his stumps cleaned up.
E Lewis b Kulkarni 0 (1)

Lineups:

Mumbai Indians: Suryakumar Yadav, Lewis, Kishan, Rohit Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Pollard, Hardik Pandya, McClenaghan, Markande, Bumrah, Mustafizur
Rajsthan Royals: Rahane, Klaasen, Samson, Stokes, Buttler, Tripathi, Archer, Kulkarni, Gowtham, Gopal, Unadkat

Mumbai Indians win toss and opt to bat first. Clearly, the recent run of results in the league has had an impact on the IPL. Mumbai go in with an unchanged side. Rajasthan hand IPL debut to Jofra Archer while Dhawal Kulkarni replaces Stuart Binny.

Overall: Matches – 16, Rajasthan Royals won – 6, Mumbai Indians won – 10

Hello and welcome. Having finally found their winning touch, Mumbai Indians will look to continue in similar vein when they lock horns with beleaguered hosts Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

The three-time champions were off to a horrible start, suffering three successive reverses, before skipper Rohit Sharma came to the team’s rescue with a blazing 94 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The 46-run drubbing of Bangalore has raised the morale of the players, and Mumbai are seeking a similar outing against the Royals.

West Indian Evin Lewis played his part with the bat, scoring 65, and then there are the likes of Kieron Pollard and the Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal. That Pollard has recovered from an injury is definitely good news for Mumbai. Another positive development is Hardik’s 5-ball 17 the other night.

Mumbai’s bowlers are in good nick too after they were able to withstand the firepower of the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. The visitors are currently placed sixth with two points, having lost three of their four matches, but the situation is not new for the visitors as they have effected dramatic turnarounds in the past.

The hosts, on the other hand, were demoralised by Shane Watson’s belligerent century last night and they have very little time to recover from the massive defeat against Chennai Super Kings.

(With PTI inputs)