The Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur bore witness to a commanding performance by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) as they convincingly defeated the Mumbai Indians (MI) with a remarkable nine-wicket victory in the 38th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 on Monday, April 22nd. This triumph solidified their position at the summit of the points table.

Opting to bat first, Mumbai struggled to find their footing, with their openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan getting dismissed at 6 and 0, respectively. Things turned positive for MI when Nehal Wadhera and Tilak Varma constructed a formidable 99-run partnership for the fifth wicket. However, Sandeep Sharma’s exceptional display of death bowling not only restricted MI to a total of 179 but also earned him the distinction of delivering the best bowling figures (5/18) in IPL 2024 thus far.

In response, RR comfortably chased down the target with nine wickets in hand. Yashasvi Jaiswal emerged as the hero for the Royals, crafting a magnificent unbeaten century, amassing 104 runs off 60 deliveries. Jos Buttler (35 off 25) offered valuable support at the beginning before departing. The unbroken partnership between Jaiswal and Sanju Samson (38* off 28) guaranteed a seamless chase for the team with eight balls remaining.

Following their comfortable victory, the RR players embarked on a celebratory lap around the stadium, expressing gratitude to the enthusiastic Jaipur crowd for their support.

Rajasthan Royals’ heartfelt farewell to Jaipur fans

This match between RR and MI marked the last appearance for the team led by Sanju at Jaipur. Following this fixture, RR will continue their home matches at the ACA Stadium in Barsapara, Guwahati. Hence, the table toppers took the chance to convey their appreciation and bid a warm farewell to their loyal supporters on their home ground.

Here is the video:

Thank you, Rajasthan. 💗💗💗 pic.twitter.com/Boc0QcbK5d

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 22, 2024

Also READ: IPL 2024 [WATCH]: Rohit Sharma hails Yashasvi Jaiswal’s comeback hundred with a warm hug

Reason for changing the home venue

Reportedly, the decision to relocate the team’s home venue from Rajasthan to Assam aims to cultivate a fan base in North-East India. With Riyan Parag, the standout all-rounder of RR, hailing from Guwahati, the Royals aim to leverage the popularity of a local talent to enhance the team’s visibility. It is worth mentioning that despite RR’s impressive performance throughout the IPL seasons and their victory in the inaugural season, they remain one of the least popular teams in the cash-rich league.

Also READ: Cricket fraternity showers praises as Yuzvendra Chahal breaches the historic 200 wicket landmark during RR vs MI clash | IPL 2024

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