New Delhi: The M.S. Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings has made the playoffs in every season of the IPL until now. An eight-wicket win over RCB in Dubai had kept the CSK in the race but Ben Stokes brilliant knock empowered RR to stay in the league. Royals now need to win all the upcimg games in order to qualigy for tyhre playoffs.
Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson played knocks of 107 and 54 respectively. For Mumbai Indians, James Pattinson returned with the figures of 2-40.
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107* – Highest individual score by a Royals batsman. ?#HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily | #IPL2020 | @benstokes38 pic.twitter.com/uZLcvaiFRf
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 26, 2020
Stokes and Samson put together an unbeaten partnership of 152 runs. With this win, Rajasthan Royals has now moved to sixth place in the points table with 10 points while Mumbai Indians are still in the top spot with 14 points. For the knock of 107, Ben Stokes was adjudged as ‘Man of the Match’.
“When you beat a team like Mumbai Indians by eight wickets it gives you belief. I have been watching the first two games we had pulled two wins out of nowhere really,” he said.
“We got to be confident there is no other way to be. We got to win every game to gives us chance. So we need to focus on that and take game by game,” he added.
Take a look at the points table:
Hardik had slammed an unbeaten 60 off just 21 balls to take Mumbai Indians past the 190-run mark. His knock was studded with seven sixes and two fours.
Stokes praise Hardik for his scintillating knock. Prior to this match, the England all-rounder hadn’t smashed a single six in the showpiece event. Stokes got starts but wasn’t able to capitalise on it.
After 391 runs. ??#RRvMI | #HallaBol | #IPL2020 | @JofraArcher | @IamSanjuSamson pic.twitter.com/eTi314YgoD
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 25, 2020
“Brilliant chase from the team. Hardik special striking even if you are from the opposition team you have to admire. We are in a position where we have nothing to lose so the team can be quite dangerous when they have nothing to lose as you got to win every game to have a chance,” said Stokes.
“It hasn’t been very fruitful until today but the desire to want more is always there. Things haven’t gone well to personally but it’s nice to get some form tonight. would have preferred to play like tonight two, three games ago when we have a real good chance,” he added.
Rajasthan Royals will next lock horns with Kings XI Punjab on Friday, October 30 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.