Mumbai Indians First Victory
Mumbai Indians First Victory: Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 5 wickets in the 44th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Mumbai Indians First Victory overcame its winless streak by registering its first victory on a convincing note.
After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, MI was able to mount a good comeback after a prolonged period of inconsistency with their choice. Rajasthan Royals openers Jos Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal made a good start to the innings, but Padikkal dropped behind to carry the momentum, being dismissed by Hrithik Shokeen within the powerplay upon scoring (15 off 15).
Sanju Samson, the RR skipper, arrived in the crease at no. 3 to support Buttler. Kumar Kartikeya grabbed Samson after hitting 16 runs in only 7 balls which included two maximums.
Buttler is seeking a partner to help him form a key wicket-to-wicket partnership. Daryl Mitchell, came up with a positive approach to clock the scoreboard, but struggled to drive the ball in the appropriate direction and was removed by Daniel Sams for 17 runs off 20 balls. Jos Buttler, the RR’s only consistent hitter, continued his destructive attack, slamming the ball all over the park and aiming for another huge knock.
Buttler’s innings were interrupted when Hrithik Shokeen claimed his victim in the shape of a well-established batsman who was caught by Suryakumar after hitting 67 runs off 52 balls, including four maximums and five fours.
Ravichandran Ashwin has been the only batter among the following lineup to score in double figures, with a quickfire knock of 9 ball-21 runs (3 fours & 1 six) before Riley Meredith bowled him. Hetmyer was not at his strongest in the match, and although not out, he couldn’t keep the game close with his power hittings. Meanwhile, RR posted a 159-run total for the MI despite losing six wickets.
Hrithik Shokeen, Riley Meredith with two wickets each, and Daniel Sams, Kumar Kartikeya with one wicket were much consistent from the Mumbai bowling order. Where Jasprit Bumrah continues his struggle to get a breakthrough in the ongoing season went wicketless.
Mumbai Indians First Victory: ‘Player Of The Match’ Awarded To Suryakumar Yadav
MI got off to a sluggish start in pursuit of a decent margin, losing opening batsman and skipper Rohit Sharma for only two runs, extending his run drought. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav restored confidence with back-to-back boundaries, marking the end of their losing streak.
However, Suryakumar has remained confident in his ability to tackle any scenario, and once again the consistent player hit a crucial knock to help the squad. After an important 39-run partnership for the second wicket, Ishan Kishan added 26 runs with four fours and one six before being dismissed by Trent Boult.
Suryakumar maintained his aggressive knock, this time partnering with Tilak Varma in pursuit of the objective, and the two created a magnificent stand for MI. The duo simplified the equation for the team, increasing the chances of MI winning the match. Suryakumar, who smashed 51 off 39 balls with five fours and two sixers, was removed by Yuzvendra Chahal.
Tilak Varma, who appeared to be struggling to find the room, fell short for Prasidh Krishna in the following over after hitting 35 from 30 balls. Tim David’s quickfire knock of 9 ball-20 runs and Daniel Sams’ powerful winning shot to hit the maximum gave the MI a breath of relief as they won the match against RR with 4 balls to spare. However, this triumph did not alter MI’s position in the points table, but it provided the squad some much-needed confidence following a string of setbacks.
