England’s off-roader scored 107 and participated in a 152-run undefeated position with Sanju Samson
Of all the words he could choose to describe his glorious undefeated century, the one Ben Stokes used was bittersweet. It was the kind of victory the Rajasthan Royals had been looking for for quite some time, with a batting lineup that failed to close out games. On Sunday (Oct 25) against the Mumbai Indians, the best at the table, RR’s senior force rose to their feet and delivered the perfect chasing squad they were clamoring for most of the season.
RR was chasing at least 40 more than they would have thought he would be 15th. Carnage courtesy of Hardik Pandya saw them concede 79 in the final four overs, which included a Jofra Archer of just 3 runs. That round undid all of RR’s hard work in between, where they chose timely terrains and dried up the races, leaving them with a goal of 196 runs.
It was an opportunity to end the furious debates surrounding Stokes’ promotion to first place, which only grew in strength with each passing game. Even mentor and brand ambassador Shane Warne supported Jos Buttler by doing what he does best at the top and having Stokes in the middle. However, it was Stokes who reached the middle alongside Robin Uthappa once again with a huge mountain ahead to climb.
IM pacemakers were exceptional in power play all season, surrendering once again with Uthappa’s wicket in the second. In two overs, Stokes had not faced a ball. When he finally went on strike, it was against the rhythm of Trent Boult. That Stokes loves rhythm with the ball is no secret and he faced Boult fearlessly and sent him over four limits on five balls, his unmistakable intention from the start. The fuller deliveries encouraged hitting, and the off-roader that struggled with time all season had taken a step forward. Finally.
“I would have preferred to get this form two or three games earlier when we weren’t relying on other results to get through to qualifiers,” Stokes told host broadcaster Star Sports. at the post-game presentation. “It’s always good to get back in shape. We needed a result from today, so it’s a good win. Yesterday’s training was the best I’ve had for the entire time I’ve been here. I entered the game with a lot more. trust than the other games.
“It’s good to spend some time in the middle and finish the game. The ball was coming in fine, short or full. It was difficult when they nailed it through the gate. We put ourselves in a great position by putting the pressure on all the bowlers They showed up. Obviously they got Bumrah, who we managed to score probably a lot more free than we thought we could. “
Prior to this game, Stokes hadn’t hit a single six in the tournament, going for 123 balls without one. He got starts in most games, racking up 110 runs in five innings, averaging 22 and hitting 106.80, but he couldn’t turn them into big ones like he did today, hitting 178.33, in an inning with almost no chances. After Steve Smith’s departure, he joined Sanju Samson to join an undefeated position of 152 that ended IM’s six-game winning streak in Abu Dhabi. The pair put in the hard yards, found the gaps, and ran two at a time, the ball sometimes hitting the longest part of the ground. With the odd limits, they made sure the required rate was never out of sight.
Samson too, after his blitzkriegs in Sharjah early in the tournament failed to adjust when RR had to move to bigger grounds. He was guilty of rushing his punches without settling down or wrapping his head in conditions, which have baffled top teams throughout the season. Today, in his first 18 balls, he had 19 runs, giving himself time in the middle and playing correct shots before releasing. On his next 9 balls thereafter, he scored 32 runs. He was peppered with the short ball that he fights most of the time, but they didn’t take any unwanted risks as the wicket started to drift away and the ball was getting close when a bit of spray came into play. He confessed not paying too much attention to the required fee; if there was a ball to hit it, it hit it. His game plan was pretty straightforward.
Unlike the IM innings, where the momentum came in the last four, it was the in-between period where they kept quiet when RR went ahead. The overs between the 13th and 16th reached 65 runs as RR rose from 107-2 to 172-2, strengthening his grip even further in the game, leaving only 24 to be chased in the final four overs.
“Stokesy was magnificent from the beginning tonight,” skipper Smith said. “He took the game, made good cricket shots, hit the ball hard in the gaps and started well. Sanju and Stokesy – that partnership was great; it’s what we’ve been crying out for from our experienced players. That’s what we haven’t been. we were “I can’t put together. When you have two players doing it and making a partnership like that, it gives you confidence. “
“Stokesy is at a million miles per hour in everything he does. He suffered in a couple of games with back pain, but I thought his intention from the first ball today was magnificent. He went out and played some really good cricket shots. and he took the game started and got going. Once it started, it was hard to stop it. I’m glad they were able to close the game. “
The most successful chase in Abu Dhabi this season was 163, but the 196 that RR chased with eight wickets to spare was the highest ever against the Mumbai Indians. And the victory was pretty complete at the end with ten balls to spare. Stokes was undefeated at 107 of 60 balls, with 14 fours and three sixes, while Samson was undefeated at 54 of 31 balls.
Hardik Pandya may have slipped the famous phrase “remember the name” into his voiceover after he hammered an outstanding 21 60 balls to help MI finish innings at a whopping 195. He crashed into young Kartik Tyagi in the final for four sixes in the final that yielded 27 races. Although his assault may have scarred the young man, the game will be remembered for Stokes’ second century IPL and his prominent position with Samson, tailor-made even for the record books.
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