IPL 2022: Jos Buttler guides Rajasthan Royals to 193-8 over Mumbai Indians

Once again, the Rajasthan Royals keep their top position in the IPL 2022 with their victory over the Mumbai Indians in Saturday's match at Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy. Thanks to Jos Buttler’s ton, the team managed to slay MI despite the bad start. Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin broke the game open, but the five-time champions ultimately fell short.

RR endured a bad start in which they only scored 48/2 after the powerplay. MI’s Jasprit Bumrah had their first wicket by removing Yashasvi Jaiswal. The MI bowler bowled with a good length delivery.During the last ball of the powerplay, Devdutt Padikkal was trying to pull the short ball, but he failed, and MI skipper Rohit Sharma ended up catching it easily.

Rajasthan Royals’ Attack

The RR did not let it slide easily as they tried to take over the game, which they did. RR gathered 90 runs in the middle overs with just one wicket lost. During the fourth over, Jos Buttler beat Basil Thampi for 24 runs, and soon the game turned to his side. Buttler smashed 11 fours and five sixes and he added another 82 runs. His performance led him to the season’s first century as RR scored 193/8 in 20 overs.

Buttler is not the only one who gets the spotlight. Batsman Shimron Hetmyer took an epic cameo in the match as he partnered up with Buttler and started clocking runs. Hetmyer smashed 33 and kept the team’s high run rate. In the 17th and 18th overs, Hetmyer gave his all and gathered 38 runs. He managed to hit Pollard for two huge sixes and two fours and make it the highlight of his play last night.

Sanju Samson also helped the team to victory through his partnership with Buttler. Samson assisted Buttler and helped him to put an 82-run third-wicket despite the loss of his opening partner, Jaiswal. Although Samson mistimed the lofted shot that led the ball to land on Tilak Varma’s, the skipper still managed to knock 30.

Mumbai Indians’ Strike

It was Jasprit Bumrah and Tymal Mills’ moves that prevented RR from scoring 200. They took three wickets repectively, and Bumrah held RR’s strike during the 19th over. Tilak Varma also had 61 off 33 balls, and Ishan Kishan added 81 runs for the fourth wicket.

MI endured really well and during the middle overs, they had 86 runs with the loss of two wickets. Tilak Varma also brought his maiden fifty, and MI was chasing comfortably. The presence of Varma and Kishan in the game brought some hope to the team. However, it was still not enough. "I thought they batted well to get to 193. Buttler played an exceptional innings, we tried everything we could to get him out. But I thought 193 on that pitch could have been chased, especially when we needed 70 in 7 overs. But these things can happen in its early days. We can learn," Mumbai Indians’ captain, Rohit Sharma said.