Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winners Mumbai Indians kept their IPL 2023 Playoffs hopes alive by attaining a last-over win over Rajasthan Royals on Sunday (April 30). Mumbai won the nail-biting thriller by 6 wickets and 3 balls remaining with Tim David hitting three sixes off the first three balls of 20th over to chase down 212-run target. Though MI won the match, it looked like the fate of the match was already decided in the first innings as Rajasthan Royals star opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 124 runs in just 62 balls (16 fours and 8 sixes), becoming the fifth uncapped player to score a century in IPL history. Before Yashasvi, four uncapped players -- Shaun Marsh (Punjab Kings) in 2008, Manish Pandey (Deccan Chargers) in 2009, Paul Valthaty (Punjab Kings) in 2011 and Rajat Patidar (Royal Challengers Bangalore) in 2022 -- have done this feat in IPL.
Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa praised the young opener for his knock on JioCinema, "He's one of the next superstars of Indian cricket. He has shown his intent from the word go. Fearless batting and going out there, very brave with the way he approaches it. He's put in all the work this season and the hard work is finally paying off. Sixteen fours tonight and some scintillating sixes."
Tim David finished the Mumbai run chase-off with three sixes in the final over to win the match with three balls to spare. Former India wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel complimented David's ability as a finisher and the importance of the role in T20 cricket on JioCinema, "He can perform under pressure and help them win matches. The role of a finisher is extremely important, especially when you are chasing a massive total. You need a big innings in the lower order with a strong strike rate and Tim David is doing that. Under pressure, a bowler knows that Tim David has the reach and strength to punish you for any mistakes. He can hit a boundary or a six, as we saw today."
Even though MI can celebrate a win that helped to keep them in the playoff race, Uthappa is worried about the massive cracks in their bowling, "This game will make it feel like all's well with the Mumbai Indians, but it really isn't. They really need to figure out their bowling and how they finish overs because they're doing fairly decent until the 15th over, especially in the last three games, they were on course to defend 170, and 180, and then in the last five over something happens and they kind of lose the plot. Then they give 60, 70, 80, 90 runs in the last five overs, which is diabolical for them."
(With ANI Inputs)