Mumbai suffered a mini-collapse in the middle-overs and but late hitting from Hardik and Saurabh Tiwary (34 of 25) enabled the defending champions to amass 74 runs in the last four overs
Hardik Pandya displayed his rare six-hitting ability for the first time this season as his unbeaten 60 off 21 balls propelled Mumbai Indians to an imposing 195 for five against Rajasthan Royals in an IPL match here on Sunday.
Mumbai suffered a mini-collapse in the middle-overs and but late hitting from Hardik, who plundered two fours and seven sixes, and Saurabh Tiwary (34 of 25) enabled the defending champions to amass 74 runs in the last four overs.
Tiwary and Hardik shared a 64-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Tiwary was brutal against Archer (2-31) in the 17th over, smashing two fours and a maximum while Hardik hammered four sixes off Ankit Rajpoot (0-60) in the 18th over, which went for 27 runs.
Hardik launched into Kartik Tyagi (1-45) in the final over, hitting him for three sixes and two fours. His blitzkrieg can prove to be the difference in the game.
After Mumbai lost opener Quinton De Kock (6) early, Ishan Kishan (37 off 36 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (40 off 26) rallied the innings with their 83-run second-wicket stand.
Kishan and Yadav again tore into pacer Rajpoot, smashing a six each as Mumbai raced to 59 for one after six overs.
Yadav went on the offensive against Shreyas Gopal, collecting two boundaries in the ninth over.
But Rajasthan pulled things back by dismissing Kishan, Yadav and Kieron Pollard (6) in quick succession as Mumbai slipped to 101 for four.
Kishan perished courtesy a one-handed blinder from Archer at third-man, off Tyagi, and then Gopal removed Surya and Pollard in the 13th over.
While Surya gave a sitter to Ben Stokes, Pollard was undone by a googly, which uprooted his stumps.
Thereafter, it was the Hardik Pandya show.
Teams
Rajasthan Royals: Robin Uthappa, Ben Stokes, Sanju Samson(w), Jos Buttler, Steven Smith(c), Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Ankit Rajpoot, Kartik Tyagi.
Mumbai Indians : Quinton de Kock(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard(c), Krunal Pandya, James Pattinson, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah.
