Rajathan Royals beat Mumbai Indians in CLT20 opener
Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals began their Champions League Twenty20 campaign in fashion as they thrashed IPL 6 champions Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in their Group A match on Saturday.
Samson shared a 74-run stand for the second wicket with Ajinkya Rahane (33) after early fall of skipper Rahul Dravid and then Shane Watson Watson came up with a breezy 27 to steer the side to finish line as Rajasthan yet again proved that they are a force at home turf.
It was one poor shot that ended Rahane’s knock as he was early into a pull shot off Rishi Dhawan, found a bottom-edge which fell on to his stumps.
Samson too departed after completing his half-century but Watson and Stuart Binny ensured that the good work does not got waste.
The two shared a 41-run stand for the unbeaten fourth wicket. Watson took 22 balls for his knock and hit two sixes while Binny’s 27 came off 14 balls with three fours and a six.
Binny finished the match with in style with a six off Coulter-Nile over long-on.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians were struggling at 43 for four at one stage but Sharma stabilised the innings with his sensible batting while Kieron Pollard hit some lusty blows towards the end to up the run-rate.
Sharma’s 44 came off 37 balls with three fours and two sixes while Pollard took 36 balls for his 42, laced with six boundaries including two sixes.
The hosts had things under control under helpful conditions for paceman as it rained before the match but Mumbai scored 55 runs in the last five overs to make it a good contest.
Dwayne Smith (9) had begun fantastically with an elegant cover drive off the first ball of the match but was trapped by Malik. The short ball kept low and Smith was caught plumb.
Tendulkar punched two boundaries off James Faulkner and one off Shane Watson but the pitch had something for the bowlers, so the IPL champions made a steady start.
But things changed quickly as Malik bowled Dinesh Karthik (2) and Tendulkar (15) was caught behind off Stuart Binny when he tried to drive a good length ball.
As if that was not enough new batsman Ambati Rayudu (3) was run out after a mix up with skipper Sharma.
Sharma kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos in company of Kieron Pollard and the visitors raised their fifty in the last ball of the 10th over when their skipper lofted Binny for a four over point.
The Mumbai skipper played some beautiful flicks and pulls and hit two sixes off Watson — first a well-timed scoop and second a ferocious pull on full toss — but the Australian succeeded in removing the dangerman.
Pollard then did a splendid job for Mumbai before becoming the third victim of Malik in the last over.
