T20 2018: Rajasthan's Jos Buttler scores yet another fifty to sink Mumbai

Rajasthan's Jos Buttler jumps in the air after hitting the winning runs during an IT20 tie v Mumbai at the Wankhede yesterday. Pics/Atul Kamble

Rajasthan made full use of their Mumbai men to thump Mumbai by seven wickets in their crucial Indian PreMumbaier League (IPL) match at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday. Rajasthan not only have Mumbai stalwarts like Zubin Bharucha, Amol Muzumdar, Sairaj Bahutule in their coaching staff, but they also have skipper Ajinkya Rahane in their ranks. But it was ex-Mumbai batsman Jos Buttler who put his experience of playing at the Wankhede Stadium to good use with an unbeaten 94 off 53 balls to help the visitors chase down the 169-run target with two overs to spare.

The seven-wicket win helped Rajasthan keep their playoffs chances alive, but defending champions Mumbai's hopes of qualifying are now quite slim. After Jofra Archer impressed with 4-0-16-2 to restrict Mumbai to 168-6, skipper Rahane (37) and Buttler did well to overcome the early setback of D Arcy Short (4) in the first over itself with a 95-run stand for the second wicket.

Rajasthan pacer Jofra Archer (2-16) celebrates the wicket of Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma yesterday

Though the Rajasthan duo did not take risks, the Mumbai bowlers did well to strangulate them from scoring freely with precise line and length. In 25 balls (between Overs 7.2 and 11.3), Rajasthan managed to put just two balls to the fence. Buttler finally opened up in the 14th over, taking 14 runs off Hardik Pandya's over in which he disMumbaissed Rahane and 14 runs off Jasprit Bumrah's over. He eventually ended it with a six to see his team through.

Earlier, Mumbai openers Suryakumar Yadav (38) and Evin Lewis (60) made the most of the lives granted to them early in their innings by sloppy Rajasthan catching. While Suryakumar was dropped by K Gowtham on the first ball of the second over at Mumbaid-on, which was a difficult catch,nine balls later, Lewis got a life when Stuart Binny failed to judge a high catch.

Archer claimed the wickets of Suryakumar and skipper Rohit Sharma off consecutive deliveries (both caught by Jaydev Unadkat at long leg) as stunning silence gripped the Wankhede. Rajasthan fully capitalised on this moment to get back into the game, conceding just 47 runs in the next eight overs (11 to 18) and also claimed the wickets of Lewis, caught at deep point by Sanju Samson off Dhawal Kulkarni, Ishan Kishan (12) and Krunal Pandya (3).

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