MI vs RR, the innings began with Deepak Chahar testing Yashasvi Jaiswal with swing and hard lengths, but Jaiswal answered back in style with a massive six over long-off on the 5th ball of the over. Will Jacks was introduced early in the second over and immediately created pressure with sharp turns and disciplined yorkers, almost trapping Jaiswal lbw.
RR slowly built momentum as Jaiswal attacked Chahar again in the third over, smashing a six and a four to keep the scoring rate healthy. The breakthrough finally came in the 4th over when Will Jacks dismissed Jaiswal for 27 runs in 17 balls, while Deepak Chahar removed Sooryavanshi soon after. RR ended the powerplay at 54/3, with Dhruv Jurel unbeaten on 7 runs off 5 balls and Shimron Hetmyer yet to score.
MI vs RR Middle Overs Analysis: MI Spinners Control RR Before Jurel and Ferreira’s Counterattack
In MI vs RR, from the seventh over onwards, MI’s spinners completely slowed RR’s momentum despite Dasun Shanaka trying to counterattack aggressively. Raghu Sharma kept firing it on tight lengths and allowed almost no boundaries, while AM Ghazanfar mixed his carrom balls smartly and forced the batters into riskier shots. Shanaka finally broke the pressure in the eighth over with a huge six over long-on, and later followed it with another maximum against Raghu Sharma.
Dhruv Jurel struggled to consistently find gaps but rotated strike calmly through the phase. The biggest moment came in the 11th over when Shanaka was run out after a mix-up with Jurel while attempting a risky single. RR reached 100/4 after 11 overs, with Dhruv Jurel unbeaten on 21 runs off 18 balls and Donovan Ferreira yet to score.
From the 12th over onwards of MI vs RR, the Royals tried to rebuild through Dhruv Jurel and Donovan Ferreira, but MI kept striking at crucial moments to stop the innings from accelerating completely. Jurel briefly shifted gears against AM Ghazanfar, smashing two fours and a six in the 12th over, including a fierce straight drive and a pull over midwicket. However, Corbin Bosch delivered the biggest breakthrough in the 13th over with a sharp yorker that bowled Jurel for 38 runs in 26 balls.
RR’s scoring slowed again before Ferreira counterattacked with a massive six off Raghu Sharma and another maximum against Deepak Chahar. Chahar responded immediately by dismissing Ferreira with a slower short ball. RR reached 148/6 after 16 overs, with Jofra Archer unbeaten on 10 runs off 7 balls and Shubham Dubey on 3 runs off 2 balls.
MI vs RR Death Overs Analysis: Archer’s Counterattack and Jadeja’s Late Blitz Push RR to 204/8
From the 17th over onwards, RR finally found momentum through Jofra Archer’s fearless hitting against the pace bowlers. Corbin Bosch tried attacking the blockhole, but Archer managed to clear the ropes with powerful swings over midwicket and long-on. The biggest overcame against Shardul Thakur in the 18th over, where Archer smashed a six and also collected a no-ball boundary as RR pushed hard towards the 200-run mark.
However, Shardul Thakur pulled things back slightly by dismissing both Shubham Dubey and Archer in the same over. Ravindra Jadeja then provided the finishing touch with aggressive boundaries in the final over, including back-to-back fours off Shardul Thakur. RR finished strongly at 204/8 after 20 overs, with Ravindra Jadeja unbeaten on 18 runs off 7 balls and Nandre Burger on 10 runs off 3 balls.
ALSO READ: IPL 2026 Playoff Qualification Scenarios: RR, PBKS, and KKR Still Fighting for the Final Spot
