NEW DELHI, Apr 29:
Opener Quinton de Kock roared back to form with a blistering 50-ball 70 as Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in their IPL game here today.
Put in to bat, Rajasthan rode on 42 by skipper Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler’s 41 to post a competitive 171 for four but their efforts was overshadowed by de Kock, who struck six fours and two maximums to complete the task in 18.3 overs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Krunal Pandya also played a useful cameo, smashing 39 off 26 balls with the help of two fours and as many sixes.
Mumbai openers Rohit Sharma (14) and de Kock put up 49 for the first wicket. The South African fetched his first boundary, a cover drive, and then launched into left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman (1/37) for a four and a maximum. While Rohit played his trademark pull-shot to get a six in the fifth over.
De Kock hammered Chris Morris (2/33) for another maximum but Rohit perished in the sixth over, giving a dolly to Chetan Sakariya at mid-on.
Leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia (0/30) conceded three boundaries in the seventh over, two by Suryakumar Yadav (16; 3×4) and one by de Kock, as Mumbai got 14 runs.
However, Morris brought back Rajasthan by removing Surya, as Mumbai slipped to 83/2.
Krunal joined de Kock, who completed his half-century in 35 balls and then got a life. Krunal smashed a six over the sight-screen off Tewatia, in the 15th over, which fetched Mumbai 12 runs as they needed 41 runs from the last five overs.
De Kock and Krunal added 63 runs for the third wicket and brought the side closer to a win.
A profligate Morris conceded 16 runs in the 18th over, as Kieron Pollard (16 not out) and de Kock took them on the cusp of a win.
Earlier, Samson blazed his way to 42 off 27 balls as Rajasthan Royals posted a competitive 171 for four.
Put in to bat, Rajasthan openers Buttler (41 off 32) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (32 off 20) laid the foundation with their 66-run stand in 7.4 overs.
Buttler started with a first-ball boundary, a flick to the fine-leg fence. The Englishman then fetched his second four, off Jasprit Bumrah (1/15), a cheeky hit to the third man boundary.
Jaiswal picked his first boundary in the third over off Trent Bout (1/37), a pull to the backward square-leg boundary.
Buttler, who got a life, then upped the ante. He took on off-spinner Jayant Yadav (0/37), hammering a four and then a maximum, in the fifth over.(PTI)
SCOREBOARD
Rajasthan Royals Innings
Jos Buttler st de Kock b Rahul Chahar 41
Yashasvi Jaiswal c and b Rahul Chahar 32
Sanju Samson b Boult 42
Shivam Dube c and b Bumrah 35
David Miller not out 7
Riyan Parag not out 8
Extras: (LB-2, W-3, NB-1) 6
Total: (4 wkts, 20 Overs) 171
Fall of Wickets: 66-1, 91-2, 148-3, 158-4
Bowler: Trent Boult 4-0-37-1, Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-15-1, Jayant Yadav 3-0-37-0, Nathan Coulter-Nile 4-0-35-0, Rahul Chahar 4-0-33-2, Krunal Pandya 1-0-12-0.
Mumbai Indians Innings
Rohit Sharma c Chetan Sakariya b Chris Morris 14
Quinton de Kock not out 70
Suryakumar Yadav c Jos Buttler b Chris Morris 16
Krunal Pandya b Mustafizur 39
Kieron Pollard not out 16
Extras: (LB-15, W-2) 17
Total: ( 3 wkts, 18.3 Overs) 172
Fall of Wickets: 49-1, 83-2, 146-3
Bowler: Chetan Sakariya 3-0-18-0, Jaydev Unadkat 4-0-33-0, Mustafizur Rahman 3.3-0-37-1, Chris Morris 4-0-33-2, Rahul Tewatia 3-0-30-0, Shivam Dube 1-0-6-0.
Follow our WhatsApp channel