The clash between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians in Match 38 of IPL 2024 proved to be a riveting encounter, filled with moments of brilliance and drama. Sandeep Sharma concluded his return with 5 wickets against Mumbai Indians, while Trent Boult bagged two big wickets in his spell.

Sandeep Sharma’s Dominance

Sandeep Sharma emerged as the star performer of the match, wreaking havoc on the Mumbai Indians’ batting lineup. His remarkable spell yielded 5 crucial wickets, putting Rajasthan Royals in a commanding position. With his return to the team, Sharma’s impact was felt immediately, reaffirming his status as one of the premier bowlers in the IPL.

See Also: Yuzvendra Chahal scripts history against MI in IPL

Best figures for RR in IPL
6/14 Sohail Tanvir vs CSK Jaipur 2008
5/16 James Faulkner vs SRH Hyderabad 2013
5/18 Sandeep Sharma vs MI Jaipur 2024 *
5/20 James Faulkner vs SRH Jaipur 2013

Key Moments in the Match

The match witnessed several key moments that swung the momentum in favor of Rajasthan Royals. Sandeep Sharma’s dismissals of Tilak Varma and Coetzee were pivotal, denting Mumbai Indians’ hopes of posting a formidable total. Additionally, Piyush Chawla’s contribution with the ball further strengthened Rajasthan’s position in the game.

Mumbai Indians’ Batting Performance

Mumbai Indians’ batting lineup faced early setbacks, with both Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan departing early in the innings. Despite the initial struggle, Tilak Varma’s gritty half-century and Nehal Wadhera’s explosive innings provided Mumbai Indians with a competitive total of 179/9 in their allotted 20 overs.

Tilak Varma’s Heroics

Tilak Varma emerged as the shining light for Mumbai Indians, anchoring the innings with a resilient fifty. His partnership with Nehal Wadhera proved to be instrumental in propelling Mumbai Indians to a respectable total. Varma’s composure under pressure showcased his potential as a future star of Indian cricket. Tilak becomes the third youngest batter to score 1000 IPL runs.

Youngest to 1000 IPL runs
20y 218d Rishabh Pant
21y 130d Yashavi Jaiswal
21y 166d Tilak Varma *
21y 169d Prithvi Shaw
21y 183d Sanju Samson

Rajasthan Royals’ Bowling Efforts

The Rajasthan Royals’ bowling unit put up a commendable performance, with Yuzvendra Chahal reaching a historic milestone of 200 IPL wickets. Chahal’s achievement marked a significant moment in IPL history, solidifying his reputation as one of the finest spinners in the tournament.

In an exciting match held at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Rajasthan Royals emerged victorious over Lucknow Super Giants by a margin of 20 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 on Sunday. Despite impressive performances by Nicholas Pooran, who scored an unbeaten 64, and KL Rahul, who contributed 58 runs, Lucknow Super Giants couldn’t secure the win as Rajasthan Royals dominated the game to clinch the victory comfortably.

Pooran’s remarkable innings and KL Rahul’s solid contribution kept Lucknow Super Giants in the game for a significant part. However, Rajasthan Royals maintained their composure under pressure and successfully defended their total to emerge as the winners.

Samson, showcased a commendable performance

They posted a competitive total of 193 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs against Lucknow Super Giants. Sanju Samson‘s brilliant half-century played a crucial role in setting up the challenging target for their opponents. The Men in Pink displayed a balanced batting effort, with contributions from various players, ensuring a formidable score on the board.

Sanju made a record to make above 50 runs in the IPL opening game from 2020. Today he smashed an unbeaten 82 in 52 balls. Riyan Parag was also on top with his performance in today’s match.

In the pursuit of 194 runs, Lucknow Super Giants got off to a solid start with KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran smashing half-centuries. However, despite their individual brilliance, the rest of the batting lineup failed to provide substantial support. The absence of significant partnerships hindered their chase as they could only manage to reach 173 for the loss of six wickets.

Sandeep Sharma was the unsung hero of the match

Ravichandran Ashwin turned to Sandeep Sharma, acknowledging his expertise in handling the high-pressure situations of the death overs. It was a strategic move that proved to be invaluable for the team’s success.

Sandeep Sharma’s entry into the attack in the 14th over marked a critical juncture in the match. Lucknow Super Giants seemed to be cruising towards their target, needing only a handful of runs to secure victory. The pressure was mounting on the fielding side, with every delivery carrying immense significance.

Despite the daunting situation, Sandeep Sharma remained composed and focused on executing his plans. His ability to deliver precise yorkers and vary his pace effectively added a new dimension to the game. With each delivery, he applied immense pressure on the opposition batsmen, restricting their scoring opportunities and unsettling their rhythm.

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Sanju Samson and his team showcased clinical execution, both with the bat and in the field, securing a crucial win on their home ground. The victory not only boosts the morale of Rajasthan Royals but also highlights their capability to perform under pressure in the IPL 2024 season. Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants will need to address their batting weaknesses and regroup for their upcoming matches to bounce back from this defeat.

The 52nd match of the IPL 2023 was played between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur where Sandeep Sharma’s No Ball in the last delivery of the match changed the result. The host team, Rajasthan Royals won the toss and opted to bat first in their home ground.

The home team scored a massive total of 214 at the end of 20 overs. They scored this huge score with the help of brilliant knocks by Jos Buttler and Skipper Sanju Samson, supported by Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Buttler hit 95 runs off 59 deliveries while the RR skipper scored 66 runs in 38 balls and remained unbeaten.

The visitors came to bat in the second innings, with Anmolpreet Singh and Abhishek Sharma as their openers. Sunrisers Hyderabad displayed a combined team effort as more or less everyone who batted contributed with runs.

Till the 17th over of the match, it looked like Rajasthan Royals will win the game comfortably, but Glenn Phillips turned the tables in the second last over of the match in which 24 runs were scored. However, Phillips got out on 5th ball of the over.

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Tail-enders, Marco Jansen and Abdul Samad were batting in the last over where they hit 2, 6, 2, 1, 1 in the first 5 deliveries. With 5 runs to win off the final ball of the match, Abdul Samad miscued his stroke off Sandeep Sharma’s bowling, and it appeared that RR had won the match. The celebrations, however, were cut short when the umpire signaled no-ball. Replays revealed that Sandeep had overstepped, forcing him to bowl the final ball again. Samad was on strike again, and this time he made no mistake, slamming the ball directly over the bowler’s head for a six, and SRH finished with the greatest chase at the site.

Watch the video of Sandeep Sharma’s No-Ball on the last ball

IPL 2023, 17th Match: Rajasthan Royals 175 for 8 (Buttler 52, Padikkal 38, Jadeja 2-21, Deshpande 2-37, Akash 2-40) beat Chennai Super Kings 172 for 6 (Conway 50, Dhoni 32*, Ashwin 2-25, Chahal 2-27) by three runs

It was set up just right. The whistles at Chepauk were getting stronger with every second as MS Dhoni took hits with 21 required off six balls. Sandeep Sharma hit a yorker after two wides, but Dhoni erred in length and hit back-to-back leg-side sixes.

Even after Sandeep went around the wicket and pulled things back, bringing the equation down to five needed off the final ball, Dhoni was leading Chennai Super Kings for the 200th time in the IPL and had the opportunity to write another fairytale. This was still Dhoni’s domain, however Sandeep nailed another ideal yorker from around the stumps and Rajasthan Royals possibly managed with a three-run win to go top of the table after four games.

With Ravindra Jadeja and Dhoni still new to the crease, Super Kings needed an unlikely 54 off 18 balls. Dhoni started the attack with a four and a six in Adam Zampa’s last over before Jadeja took over in a 19-run penultimate over bowled by Jason Holder, hitting him for a four and two sixes.

However, Sandeep Sharma nearly maintained his composure, and Royals became the first team this season to defend a total below 190

Ashwin, Chahal, Zampa storm CSK’s spin fortress

In the third over, Super Kings, chasing 176, lost the prolific Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, Devon Conway and Ajinkya Rahane added 68 out of 43 balls to keep the pursuit on target. Rahane, who had scored a bursting 50 years against Mumbai Indians in his last trip, was fast off the blocks once more, getting Jason Holder through midwicket and lurking down the track to store R Ashwin over the long-off limit while hurrying to a 19-ball 31.

In Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Effect Player Adam Zampa, nonetheless, Royals had a twist assault made for Chepauk conditions, and they removed a lot of procurement even with dew beginning to kick in. The Royals’ fortunes changed when Ashwin fired Rahane. Super Kings went from 78 for 1 in the 10th over to 122 for 6 in the 17th.

Zampa gave up 14 runs in the 18th over when Dhoni chased him, but even with that, the Royals’ spinners only gave up 95 runs in 12 overs and took five wickets, while their Super Kings counterparts gave up 84 runs in 10 overs and took three wickets.

Buttler and Padikkal set the tone

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been in great form for Royals this season, and after Super Kings chose to bowl, he hit two fours off the left-arm quick Akash Singh in the first over, threatening to go on another boundary spree in the powerplay. However, in the subsequent over, Jaiswal was bowled out by Tushar Deshpande, Super Kings’ primary bowler in the absence of Deepak Chahar. Royals moved the left-right blend along by advancing Devdutt Padikkal, who passed on the match against Delhi Capitals, to No. 3.

In Maheesh Theekshana’s first game of the season, Padikkal and Jos Buttler hit him for four fours and a six in his first two overs, both inside the powerplay. That got them into groove for a 77-run second-wicket organization off only 41 balls, which took Royals to a considerable 88 for 1 in the 10th over.

Bowlers keep CSK in the game

With the wickets of Padikkal and Sanju Samson taken by Jadeja in just three balls, Super Kings were able to recover, and Royals responded by moving Ashwin up the order, a strategy that is now commonplace. After Royals failed to score in five consecutive overs, the scoring rate dropped for a while before Ashwin ended the streak with a four off Theekshana in the 14th. He then smacked Akash for progressive sixes in the fifteenth, prior to falling later in the over for a 22-ball 30.

When Buttler lost Padikkal, he was 34 off 17 but didn’t hit another boundary, ending up with a 52 off 36 balls. He also scored 3,000 runs in the Indian Premier League, becoming the third fastest player to do so in terms of innings played.

Shimron Hetmyer entered at about his preferred time, with five overs remaining, despite the Ashwin promotion’s apparent intent to delay his entry. He contributed in the end with an unbeaten 30 off 18, but Royals only managed 40 in their final five overs due to a lack of support from the other end.

They ended the game on 175 for 8, having appeared on track for 200 at one point. In the final over, Deshpande bowled out Holder and Zampa.

Impact Player Strategy

Royals acquired Zampa as their Effect Player: he left to bat at No. 10 to confront the last wad of their innings, supplanting Buttler. The finger injury Buttler got before in the opposition might have had an impact in his evacuation. Sisanda Magala was injured while taking the catch to dismiss Ashwin, and Super Kings yanked him off after his two overs totaled 14 runs. Ambati Rayudu, who batted for the Super Kings at No. 6 and endured only two balls.