When it came to assigning responsibility for the team’s subpar performance in the IPL 2025 campaign, Rajasthan Royals stand-in captain Riyan Parag wasn’t holding back.
The Mumbai Indians (MI), who recorded their seventh victory of the season and sixth straight victory on Thursday, defeated the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by a crushing 100 runs, resulting in the Royals’ eighth loss of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. With a disciplined and strategic batting performance that saw them hold onto wickets and pick up speed in the latter stages, MI amassed a formidable 217/2. Rajasthan never really got going in response and gave in to pressure from the scoreboard.Riyan Parag praised Mumbai’s better play in his post-match remarks.
“MI deserves praise for their batting performance. According to ESPNcricinfo, Parag stated, “They kept wickets.”
Indeed, 190–200 would have been the best number. We’ve been off to a strong start. However, the middle order, which includes Dhruv (Jurel) and me, must take the initiative. Both good and bad things have been done by us. Numerous errors, both minor and major. We want to pay attention to them and the positive things as well,” he continued.Concerns within the RR camp are mounting, as evidenced by Parag’s remarks, particularly in light of the middle order’s inability to offer the last touch.
The Mumbai Indians are among the most dangerous teams in the league after winning six in a row, suggesting that they are peaking at the ideal moment.
MI had lost four of their first five games, but this was their sixth consecutive win.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi started the RR innings by chasing a massive target of 218. In the opening over, MI bowler Deepak Chahar got rid of Suryavanshi for zero. Jaiswal was joined in the center by Nitish Rana.In the second over of the innings, Trent Boult quickly dismissed Jaiswal for 13 (6) as well. Regular wicket losses continued for Rajasthan. Boult dismissed Rana for 9 (11) in the fourth over following a middle-field battle.
In an attempt to increase the run rate, RR captain Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel were dismissed in the fifth over after Parag smashed a ball straight to Rohit Sharma off Jasprit Bumrah. Shimron Hetmyer was dismissed on the very next ball by veteran seamer Bumrah.Jurel was joined in the middle by impact player Shubham Dubey. On 62/5, RR completed their power play. Dubey was removed from the game on his first ball by MI captain Hardik Pandya. In his innings, Shubham hit two fours and a six, scoring 15 (9).
For a few overs, the batters alternated strikes after Jofra Archer joined Jurel in the middle. In the ninth over, Karn Sharma also got rid of Jurel for 11 (11). RR finished nine overs at 76/7.Archer was joined in the middle by Maheesh Theekshana. Bumrah lost a caught and ball opportunity for Theekshana in his third over, but Karn Sharma removed him for 2 in the following over (9). After defeating Kumar Kartikeya for zero and taking two wickets in his second over, RR reached 91/9 after 12 overs.
For the final wicket, Archer and Akash Madhwal contributed 26 runs.
With Trent Boult and Karn Sharma taking three wickets apiece and Bumrah taking two, MI’s bowling outperformed RR’s.
Each of Deepak Chahar and Hardik Pandya claimed a wicket.The MI openers got off to a fast start in the first innings, reaching 50 in just 5.2 overs and concluding the powerplay at 58 without losing.
Rohit quickly followed with a fifty off thirty-one deliveries, but Rickelton was the first to register his half-century, having done it in 29 balls.
Before Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana gave the breakthrough by removing Rickelton for 61 (38 balls), an innings that featured seven boundaries and three sixes, the two had forged a 116-run opening partnership.Soon after, Rohit was dismissed by Rajasthan captain Riyan Parag for 53 (36 balls), with nine fours. But the Royals had no break as Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav grabbed control in the second half of the innings.
With the runs coming in 23 balls each, the two batsmen added an undefeated 94-run partnership, concluding with equal scores of 48.
With a six off the last delivery, Suryakumar elegantly ended the innings. He didn’t leave with Pandya.
For the hosts, only Theekshana and Parag were able to claim a wicket apiece.
