 "Captain Hardik Pandya emphasises on staying 'humble and disciplined' as MI knock RR out of IPL 2025 with 100-run triumph")
Hardik Pandya reiterated the importance of staying “humble and disciplined” as Mumbai Indians collected a sixth victory on the trot to jump to the top of the 2025 Indian Premier League points table. MI knocked Rajasthan Royals out of the playoffs race after thrashing them by 100 runs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday. The five-time IPL champions thus collected their first victory at the venue since 2012, posting 217/2 on the board before bundling the home team out for 117.
Openers Ryan Rickelton (61) and Rohit Sharma (53) scored fifties and stitched together a 116-run opening partnership before Pandya (48 not out) and Suryakumar Yadav (48 not out) added 94 in an unbroken third-wicket stand to help Mumbai post the joint-highest IPL total at the venue.
The MI pace attack virtually killed off the contest in the powerplay of RR’s chase, reducing them to 62/5. Deepak Chahar (1/13) dismissed batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi for a two-ball duck in the very first over while Jasprit Bumrah (2/15) and Trent Boult (3/28) collected a couple of wickets each. Leg-spinner Karn Sharma later ran through the RR lower order to finish as the pick of the Mumbai bowlers with figures of 3/23.
𝙈𝙄ghty when defending 200+ 💙
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 1, 2025
Which team can end this streak? 🤔#TATAIPL | #RRvMI | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/k6HiAH8ehu
Impact Shorts
More ShortsPandya (1/2) was also among the wickets, striking in his first delivery of the evening, while Boult grabbed the final wicket by dismissing Jofra Archer (30) – who top-scored for the Royals by virtue of being the only batter to cross the 20-run mark.
“The way we batted, and we were clinical with the ball - so absolutely (a perfect game). We could have got another 15 runs. What we (him and Surya) were trying to speak to each other was to play percentage shots. Surya and I said there’s value for shots… Ro (Rohit) and Ryan batted the same way. I think it was absolutely fantastic,” Pandya said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
“It is never about people getting chances; it’s about what is required in the situation. People are going back to batsmanship. As a group, the way we batted was proper batsmanship. I don’t know who all to mention (among the bowlers]. Everyone is really clear. We’re going back to simple cricket, and it’s working for that. We want to take game by game, and be humble and disciplined,” the all-rounder added.
‘It wasn’t our day’: Parag on Royals’ abject surrender with the bat
The defeat also meant RR became the second team after Chennai Super Kings to bow out of the playoffs race, having suffered their eighth defeat in 11 games on Thursday.
The 218-run target set by MI was a challenging one, but was by no means a Herculean chase, given the Royals had chased down a target of 210 against Gujarat Titans with more than four overs to spare, thanks mainly to 14-year-old Suryavanshi's record-breaking 35-ball century .
The Royals, however, ran into a Mumbai attack that has been breathing fire in the second half of the season and has played a major role in the team’s turnaround that has culminated in six consecutive victories.
Parag also heaped praise on MI skipper Pandya and Yadav for their explosive partnership that ensured the visiting team finishing within touching distance of the 220-mark.
“We have to give credit to the way MI played. The way they batted, took the game a little deep, kept the 10 runs per over consistency and accelerated in the end. As far as our batting is concerned it wasn’t our day. 190-200 would have been ideal (to chase), but then Hardik and Surya bhai at the end really switched it up, we could have done a few things better but it is how it is,” Parag said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
As for RR spectacular collapse following the early dismissals of openers Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the Assam batting all-rounder added that it was up to the middle-order to step up in such scenarios.
“We have been getting good starts but it is up to the middle order - myself, Dhruv (Jurel), for us to step up when we lose wickets in the powerplay. But we still back ourselves, if another situation (like today) comes up then we will be up for it.
“We have done a lot of things right, lot of things wrong, we want to focus on the things we have done right, lot of mistakes, lot of small errors, focus on how to not make them and we have had a few close matches, if we get an opportunity like the first 10 games in the next 3 then hopefully we can do it better,” Parag added.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
