Updated: October 26, 2020 3:00:33 pm
Ben Stokes of Rajasthan Royals and Sanju Samson of Rajasthan Royals after winning the match. (BCCI / IPL)
A scintillating hundred of 59 balls from Ben Stokes helped the Rajasthan Royals beat the Mumbai Indians by eight wickets and stay alive in the IPL. Chasing 196 for the win, RR won with 10 balls to spare. An unbroken 152-run (82-ball) partnership between Stokes and Sanju Samson took the game away from MI. RR’s victory officially closed the playoff door to Chennai Super Kings.
Big Ben tolls
“I didn’t sleep for a week and my head wasn’t really focused,” Stokes told the Weekend Herald after his father Ged was diagnosed with brain cancer. He left the England team during their home series against Pakistan and missed a considerable part of this IPL. His ailing father “encouraged” Stokes to return to cricket.
In the previous five games, the southpaw had barely made an impact, but on Sunday he more than made up for a slow streak. His innings began with a series of limits against Trent Boult and the ton came with a six from James Pattinson. Once again, he proved to be the man for the big occasion.
Think of Samson, whose 31 ball 54 didn’t knock out Stokes brilliantly. The latter created the space for Samson to play himself and an excellent partnership ensued.
Hardik blitz triumphs over Jofra’s stunner
Previously, the Rajasthan Royals had managed to set the game back for a brief time, riding a Jofra Archer stunner. But the Indians of Mumbai have many game changes. On Sunday, Hardik Pandya came to the party.
Archer made a one-handed catch with a goalie jump, to draw an analogy to soccer. Ishan Kishan had flat-out hit a short delivery from mid-pace Kartik Tyagi and Archer had initially misjudged him. But his recovery was shocking, a jump up and back to take the catch in the third-man square.
IM went to nearly nine races during the 83-race second-field partnership between Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. Inspired by Archer’s effort, RR rebounded. Leg spinner Shreyas Gopal fired Yadav and Kieron Pollard within four deliveries in his third over and the game was in balance before Hardik exploded to death.
Rahul Tewatia couldn’t take an ill-timed job from Hardik against Tyagi when the batter was five. Tewatia had previously left Yadav under cover, but this one proved much more expensive.
It was Saurabh Tiwary who snatched the lead from IM at the 17th, hitting a pair of four and a six from Archer. Then Hardik took over. Seamer Ankit Rajpoot was on the receiving end of his blitz. A high high shot was long followed by three straight sixs on the last three balls of that switch. Archer threw a brilliant 19 over, but Hardik was waiting for Tyagi. Three sixes and two fours, and another 27 hits brought the MI total to 195/5. Hardik sped to a 20-ball half century.
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