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IPL 2018: K Gowtham's freak show helps Rajasthan Royals stun Mumbai Indians in last over thriller

Young Krishnappa Gowtham put up a freak show with his bat by smashing 33 runs from 11 balls as Rajasthan Royals stunned Mumbai Indians by 3-wickets in another last-over thriller.

IPL 2018: K Gowthams freak show helps Rajasthan Royals stun Mumbai Indians in last over thriller

Jaipur, April 22: Young Krishnappa Gowtham put up a freak show with his bat by smashing 33 runs from 11 balls as Rajasthan Royals stunned Mumbai Indians by 3-wickets in another last-over thriller in the Indian Premier League encounter here on Sunday (April 22).

Chasing a gettable target of 168, Rajasthan were knocked off the course after a gem of an over from Mumbai's death-over specialist Jasprit Bumrah as he removed well-set Sanju Samson (52) and Jos Buttler on consecutive deliveries and conceded just one run from the 17th over of the innings. But the India international had an anti-climax when he conceded 18 runs from the 19th over and let the game slip away from his team's grip.

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Uncapped K Gowtham, along with debutant Archer, plundered 18 runs, including three boundaries, and ensured they required 10 from the final over. Despite losing Archer on the first ball of the over, Royals' hopes were alive with Gowtham on strike and the young leg-spinner - who was purchased by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 6.20 crore in the auction - hit a boundary and then a maximum of that final over bowled by Hardik Pandya to snatch a win from Mumbai's jaws.

This was Mumbai's fourth defeat in the final over in this season as luck seems to evade them in the dying moments of the game and they end up losing it.

Before Gowtham's freak show, Royals appeared cruising towards a comfortable victory and keeping their winning record at home intact as Ben Stokes (40 off 27) and Samson (52 off 39) kept them in the hunt. Stokes was removed by a brilliant yorker from Hardik Pandya while Samson was forced by Bumrah to play an uncontrolled shot and caught at deep mid-wicket by Pandya.

Royals didn't have the best of starts in the chase as they lost opener Rahul Tripathi (9) and skipper Ajinkya Rahane (14) cheaply. But the partnership between Samson and Stokes took the hosts past the triple-figure mark.

Mumbai bowlers had another forgettable outing after their batsmen fell some 25-30 runs short while batting first and that meant they had to be at their economical and lethal best. Bumrah and rest of the bowlers had almost defended the below-par total at this surface before both he and Rahman went for runs in their final overs.

Earlier, Rajasthan pacers scripted a superb comeback in the second half of the innings as they restricted dangerous-looking Mumbai Indians to 167/7 after skipper Rohit Sharma elected to bat first.

Dhawal Kulkarni (2/32) and debutant Jofra Archer (3/22) rattled Mumbai's middle-order after Ishan Kishan (58) and Suryakumar Yadav (72) put up 134-run-partnership for the second wicket.

Mumbai looked headed towards a huge total as Ishan and Suryakumar recovered them well after losing the wicket of Evin Lewis in the first over itself. But Rajasthan pacers came back strongly in the death overs to put a brake on the flow of runs and prevented the visitors from posting a big total.

Archer made a sensational IPL debut as he impressed all with his lethal pace and grabbed three wickets in an over to announce his arrival.

The scoreboard read 129/1 at the end of 14th over but floodgates were opened for Mumbai after the partnership between Kishan and Yadav was broken in the 15th over. The visitors kept losing wickets in patches and ended up putting just 36 more runs in the next 6 overs.

Kieron Pollard, who was promoted ahead of Rohit, didn't live up to the billing as he could just score 21 off 20 balls. While the skipper was outrun by his counterpart, Rahane - who effected a brilliant Jonty Rodes-like run out - to send fellow Mumbaikar for nought.

Later, Krunal Pandya (7), Hardik Pandya (4) and Mitchell McClenaghan were removed by young Jofra Archer in the final over of his spell as Mumbai could only muster 32 runs from the last 5 overs.

Overall, it was a disappointing batting and poor bowling from Mumbai which cost them this match.

Story first published: Monday, April 23, 2018, 1:55 [IST]
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