Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered impressive performances, leading the Rajasthan Royals to a solid 27-run victory over the Mumbai Indians in a rain-affected IPL match on Tuesday.
Jaiswal, finishing with an unbeaten score of 77, and Sooryavanshi, who contributed 39 runs off just 14 balls, propelled Rajasthan to a total of 150-3. The match was shortened to an 11-overs-a-side format due to weather conditions in Guwahati.
Rajasthan’s bowlers then restricted the five-time champions, Mumbai, to 123-9, marking the Royals’ third consecutive win this season and positioning them at the top of the league table.
Heavy rain and wet grounds led to a significant delay of two hours and 40 minutes, pushing the original match start time from 7:30 PM local time to later in the evening.
Jaiswal began strongly, hitting four fours and a six in the first over. Sooryavanshi made an impact right away, smashing a six off the first ball he faced from Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. His aggressive batting continued until he mishit a delivery from Shardul Thakur, resulting in his dismissal.
The young player left a mark in last year’s IPL with a remarkable debut season that featured a 35-ball century, the second fastest in T20 history. He kicked off this season with a vigorous fifty, further solidifying his reputation.
Jaiswal quickly captured attention with his own explosive batting, notching up his second consecutive fifty in just 23 balls. His innings included 10 fours and four sixes, showcasing his ability to dominate the bowlers throughout his 32 balls at the crease.
Mumbai faced an uphill battle after losing their opener, Ryan Rickelton, for eight runs during the very first over bowled by Rajasthan’s Jofra Archer. The collapse continued as Nandre Burger dismissed T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav for a mere six runs, leaving the team at 22-3.
Further compounding their challenges, Sandeep Sharma trapped senior batsman Rohit Sharma for just five runs, highlighting Rajasthan’s strong bowling performance.
In a notable display, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi took two wickets in a single over, sending skipper Hardik Pandya back to the pavilion for a duck and dismissing Tilak Varma for 14 runs. The wickets continued to fall, resulting in Mumbai’s second defeat in three matches this season.
Both Burger and Sandeep ended the game with two wickets apiece, contributing significantly to the Royals’ decisive victory and a strong start to their campaign in the IPL.