‘Ninth time lucky’: Fans relieved as Mumbai claim first win of Indian T20 League 2022

Rajasthan faced Mumbai in the 44th match of the Indian T20 League 2022 at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. The pitch appeared slow and sticky, assisting the spinners. The match saw an even contest between the bat and the ball as 319 runs were scored in the match and 13 wickets fell in total.

Mumbai won the toss in the match and decided to field first. Rajasthan had a steady start to their innings before Devdutt Padikkal (15 of 15) was dismissed in the fifth over. Sanju Samson joined Jos Buttler in the middle and the duo stitched a partnership of 28 runs, before Samson’s wicket was taken by the debutant Kumar Kartikeya in the eighth over. While Rajasthan lost one of their prime batters in Samson (16 of 7), Buttler’s love affair with the Mumbai bowling attack continued. He took his time at the beginning getting settled in the middle. Once he got an idea of the conditions he switched on the beast mode. He slammed Hrithik Shokeen for four consecutive sixes in the 16th over before being dismissed on the last ball of the same over. He scored 67 runs off 52 deliveries hitting five fours and four sixes.

Buttler’s knock followed by Ravichandran Ashwin’s short little cameo of 21 from 9 balls helped Rajasthan reach a total of 158 runs for the loss of six wickets from 20 overs. Riley Meredith and Hrithik Shokeen picked up two wickets each for Mumbai, but the debutant Kumar Kartikeya impressed the most conceding just 19 runs from his four overs picking up a wicket.

Mumbai started their chase on a blazing not as Ishan Kishan looked in great hitting form. But Rohit Sharma (2 of 5 ) was unable to get off the blocks before being dismissed in the third over of the innings, when the team’s score was 23. Ishan continued to power Mumbai’s innings with some blazing shots. But his stay at the crease was cut short by Trent Boult in the sixth over. Ishan scored 26 runs of 18 deliveries hitting four fours and one six. At the end of the powerplay overs Mumbai was 41 for two down. At this stage Mumbai needed to maintain their momentum in order to successfully chase down the target. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma provided Mumbai with the needed momentum and kept them in the hunt. After the end of the 10 overs the men in blue had 75 runs on the board for the loss of two wickets. The duo continued from strength to strength and put Mumbai in an advantageous position. Surya reached his half century of 36 deliveries and was looking determined to take his team home. But  Yuzvendra Chahal picked up his wicket in the 15th over. Yadav scored 51 runs of 39 deliveries hitting five fours and two sixes. The pair stitched a partnership of 81 runs to put Mumbai in a position of strength.

As 15th over ended Mumbai was 122 for 3 needing 37 runs off 30 balls. But Tilak Varma (35 of 30) followed soon in the sixteenth over and the match started to change complexion once again. Although Kieron Pollard (10 of 14) was dismissed in the last over, Tim David () held his nerves and avoided further slip ups. He guided Mumbai to their first victory of the tournament by a margin of five wickets with 4 balls remaining in the match. Rajasthan lost their third in the tournament from nine matches.

https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/1520425945148309505?s=20&t=D0PBmpyf3mkiwE3c7y6WyQ

https://twitter.com/MIonefamily/status/1520440506450268160?s=20&t=D0PBmpyf3mkiwE3c7y6WyQ

https://twitter.com/Rudra2812/status/1520455909926866945?s=20&t=U9TYiGuA0mfI1e-_qgoCMQ

All about poor captaincy from @IamSanjuSamson
, that over from #darylmitchel is costing us @rajasthanroyals
The game surely #RRvMI

— Ahmad sixth sense (@AhmadSixth) April 30, 2022

https://twitter.com/sharad__tweets/status/1520461860734074882?s=20&t=U9TYiGuA0mfI1e-_qgoCMQ

Mumbai Indians are ninth time lucky! They have gotten over the line in the last over!

— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) April 30, 2022

https://twitter.com/mipaltan/status/1520464845140750336?s=20&t=U9TYiGuA0mfI1e-_qgoCMQ

Relief and must say pleased for @mipaltan Imp for what has happened to them this season. Should get better. Tim David can be the finisher they need. Should play all games.

— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) April 30, 2022

.@timdavid8’s finishing touch will do his confidence a world of good. @mipaltan finally have a win- with a six, it’s even better! #RRvMI #IPL2022

— Reema Malhotra (@ReemaMalhotra8) April 30, 2022

https://twitter.com/sthalekar93/status/1520465440337584128?s=20&t=U9TYiGuA0mfI1e-_qgoCMQ

https://twitter.com/Vinay_Kumar_R/status/1520466346613501953?s=20&t=U9TYiGuA0mfI1e-_qgoCMQ

Finally on the mark #MumbaiIndians

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 30, 2022