14/04Result
9th match (N), Pepsi Indian Premier League at Ahmedabad, Apr 14 2015
RR won by 7 wkts (5b rem)
Player of the Match
Steven Smith
Steven SmithRajasthan Royals
14/04Result
9th match (N), Pepsi Indian Premier League at Ahmedabad, Apr 14 2015
RR won by 7 wkts (5b rem)
Player of the Match
Steven Smith
Steven SmithRajasthan Royals

That is all from this game for now. Good night

Steven Smith is the Man of the Match and also gets the Orange Cap. Smith: "I am doing it consistently now, moving across my stumps, it is working, no need to change it. We were trying to keep it around ten an over or under that, managed to do it for quite a while."

Rohit Sharma: "We did not start well with the bat, poor performance with the bat, thanks to Corey and Polly for bringing us back in the game. I think it was a decent score, not a great one but something to bowl at. Royals batted well. We have some work to do. We have to take responsibility with bat and be a little disciplined with ball. Aaron Finch does not look good right now. He will take a scan tomorrow."

Steven Smith leads Royals to three wins in three, while Mumbai Indians have suffered their third defeat in as many games. Their batting has been up and down, and the bowling has not been able to create any pressure. Super innings from captain Smith, stepped up against the opposition's best bowler at the end there.

----------
yaniv: "Don't understand Rohit's tactics here. If you've decided not to bowl a bowler (Vinay) at the end, why don't use his quota completely in the beginning when he is containing the runs."

LM: "I think Mumbai lost to poor captaincy today. This score was defendable. Wrong choice of bowlers at wrong time"

Siddharth: "MI are notoriously slow starters in pretty much every IPL (2014 being the most classic case of all). At the same time, given the way RR's results went into free fall after they had won 5 of their first 7 games last year, I wouldn't read much into the points table the way it is now (except maybe the fact that CSK will continue to linger at or close to the top)."

19.1
1
Gopal to Faulkner, 1 run, wrong 'un, Faulkner hits it to the covers off the back foot, they go for the run, there is an appeal for a run-out at the bowler's end, really tight this one, third umpire decides that Faulkner has just made it as the bail comes off

END OF OVER:
19 | 11 Runs | RR: 164/3 (1 run required from 6 balls, RR: 8.63, RRR: 1.00)

  • Steven Smith79 (53b)
  • James Faulkner5 (5b)
  • Lasith Malinga4-0-41-1
  • Pawan Suyal4-0-45-0
18.6
4
Malinga to Smith, FOUR, another one, makes slight room, bends the legs a bit, arches back a bit, and crashes another drive between extra cover and mid off
18.5
0
Malinga to Smith, no run, cannot get this full delivery past the bowler, who throws it back to the keeper and makes Smith hurry back into his crease
18.4
0
Malinga to Smith, no run, drives a length ball on the up, but straight to mid off
18.3
2
Malinga to Smith, 2 runs, works a slower short of a length ball behind square leg, takes the Orange Cap too with this couple
18.2
4
Malinga to Smith, FOUR, outstanding shot, down the track, moving inside the line, and dismissing a length ball between extra cover and mid off with total authority
18.1
1
Malinga to Faulkner, 1 run, slower length ball nudged to square leg

END OF OVER:
18 | 12 Runs | RR: 153/3 (12 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.50, RRR: 6.00)

  • Steven Smith69 (48b)
  • James Faulkner4 (4b)
  • Pawan Suyal4-0-45-0
  • Lasith Malinga3-0-30-1
17.6
6
Suyal to Smith, SIX, Smith all but seals it with another of his ridiculously well-timed checked pick-up shots over midwicket, that is some way into the crowd, moves across early, stands on off, and takes it from around middle and leg
17.5
2
Suyal to Smith, 2 runs, connects with this full toss but not well enough to deny Pollard running to his right from long on
17.4
0
Suyal to Smith, no run, misses out and is beaten as he tries to drive this full toss off the back foot
17.3
1
Suyal to Faulkner, 1 run, around the blockhole outside off, squeezed to long off
17.2
2
Suyal to Faulkner, 2 runs, fullish on middle, worked through midwicket, they press for the second, make it

aka: "Now Malinga has experienced quality too ;-)."

17.1
1
Suyal to Smith, 1 run, pitched up and skidding on middle, Smith cannot get under that and drives it to long off

Rohit turns to Suyal again

END OF OVER:
17 | 15 Runs | RR: 141/3 (24 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.29, RRR: 8.00)

  • Steven Smith60 (44b)
  • James Faulkner1 (2b)
  • Lasith Malinga3-0-30-1
  • Pawan Suyal3-0-33-0
16.6
1
Malinga to Smith, 1 run, slowish length ball on middle and leg, Smith calmly pushes it to long on, keeps strike
16.5
0
Malinga to Smith, no run, foxed by the slower one this time, was winding up but was left prodding outside off at the change of pace
16.4
4
Malinga to Smith, FOUR, four more, comes off a thick outside edge to the third man boundary as Smith throws the bat at a full one
16.3
2
Malinga to Smith, 2 runs, imperious drive past extra cover to a length ball, sweeper cannot prevent the second
16.2
4
Malinga to Smith, FOUR, exquisite from Smith, he purrs to his maiden IPL fifty, feet wide apart, bending to a yorker outside off and guiding it past backward point
16.1
4
Malinga to Smith, FOUR, Smith starts the over with a quality checked pick-up over midwicket, it was quite full but he leaned back a bit to get under it, deep midwicket is vacant

Match Coverage

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Smith's best

65

Steven Smith's previous-highest score in any Twenty20 game, for Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers in a 2014 Big Bash game

Not great for chasing

160

The highest total so far by a team batting second in an IPL game in Ahmedabad. The highest in a successful chase is 151

Finish with a flourish

90

Runs scored in the last six overs by Mumbai Indians. They've made the three highest totals in the last six overs in IPL 2015

Powerful Pollard

206

Pollard's strike rate (70 off 34), the sixth-best among 50-plus scores by Mumbai Indian batsmen in the IPL

Slow starts the norm

3

Number of times, in three matches in IPL 2015, that Mumbai Indians have scored fewer than 70 runs after 12 overs

Piling up the zeroes

7

Number of ducks for Rohit Sharma in IPL matches. Seven players have made more zeroes; Gambhir and Amit Mishra lead with ten each

The opening experiment

33

Number of different opening combinations for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Only Royal Challengers, with 38, have tried more pairs