The Rajasthan Royals have been on a downward spiral in the final week of the Indian Premier League’s thirteenth season. Since winning its first two games of the season, RR has lost the last three to fall to seventh in the points table. The middle order is stuttering and the hitters are failing to come to the fore. On Tuesday, none of the hitters except Jos Buttler did not stand up as the Mumbai Indians pitched just 137 at them.
RR would be awaiting the return of his Ben Stokes talisman. It has arrived in the UAE, but is in mandatory 6-day quarantine and will only be available after October 10. RR captain Steve Smith spoke about his return and said his return is not far off.
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“I think losing ground early doesn’t help, we haven’t been able to get off to a good start in the last three games. Aside from Jos and Archer at the end, we have quite a bit of work to do on our hitting. He (Stokes) won’t be out until the 10th, I think. It’s not too far, hopefully we can get some wins before he comes back and then build momentum, ”Smith said during the post-game presentation on host broadcaster Star Sports.
After facing a third straight loss in the IPL, Smith expressed disappointment with the team’s hitting performance, but said there is no need to “panic too much.”
The Mumbai Indians put on a very dominant performance to beat the Rajasthan Royals by 57 runs here on Tuesday.
The team led by Rohit Sharma scored 193 runs after opting to hit first. Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets, while James Pattinson and Trent Boult chose two wickets apiece in the match, as the Rajasthan Royals were out in 136 runs.
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Jos Buttler was the top-scorer of the Rajasthan Royals, scoring 70 runs during the chase.
After scoring more than 200 runs in their first two games, the Rajasthan Royals hitters have struggled in recent games. In the previous match, the team scored 154 runs and before that, the team only managed to put 137 runs on the board while chasing a 175-run goal against Kolkata Knight Riders.
“I don’t think we should panic too much, it’s just about implementing our plans and playing good cricket for longer. We haven’t been able to do that in the last three games and we have to change it quickly. Hopefully, get a little momentum, ”he added.
Furthermore, the Mumbai Indians have claimed first place in the points table with this victory.
(with ANI inputs)
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