Yuzvendra Chahal became the first bowler to take 200 IPL wickets in Rajasthan Royals’ nine-wicket win over Mumbai Indians.
Yuzvendra Chahal equalled Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel’s wicket tallies at the top of the Purple Cap table by becoming the first player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history to take 200 wickets. Chahal dismissed Mohammad Nabi with a catch off his own bowling in the eighth over of Rajasthan Royals’ match against Mumbai Indians on Monday in Jaipur. Bumrah had a rare off day, recording figures of 0/37 as Yashasvi Jaiswal scored an unbeaten 104 off 60 balls and led RR to a nine-wicket win.
Yuzvendra Chahal took his season’s tally to 13 while Sandeep Sharma is on six. (AP)
Chahal himself conceded 48 runs, however, and it was Sandeep Sharma was the star with the ball for RR. The pacer recorded sensational figures of 5/18. This was only Sandeep’s third match of the season, having been out injured since RR’s second game this year against Delhi Capitals on March 28 and he has now taken a total of six wickets at an average of 12.66.
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Meanwhile, Chahal, Bumrah and Harshal have all taken 13 wickets each. Despite being hit to all parts of the Sawai Mansingh Stadium by Yashasvi Jaiswal, Bumrah’s economy of 6.37 remains the best among bowlers in the top 20 of the Purple Cap table. Chahal is placed second with an economy of 8.83 while Harshal is third with 9.58. Bumrah’s MI teammate Gerald Coetzee also went wicketless in the two overs that he bowled on Monday. His tally stands on 12 wickets while Punjab Kings’ stand-in captain Sam Curran squares off the top five with 11 wickets. Curran is on level on wickets with Chennai Super Kings’ Mustafizur Rahman but his economy of 8.79 keeps him ahead of the Bangladesh pacer.
Sandeep’s five-wicket haul helped RR restrict MI to a score of 179/9 with Tilak Varma having scored 65 off 45 balls and Nehal Wadhera making 49 in 24. RR’s chase was interrupted by a rain delay of about 45 minutes. RR completed the chase of 180 with eight balls to spare. Regaining his form, opener Jaiswal finished as RR’s top-scorer with his second IPL century.
Earlier, Trent Boult (2/32) dismissed Rohit Sharma (6) in the first over, while Sandeep (5/18) claimed the wickets of Ishan Kishan (0) and Suryakumar Yadav (10) in successive overs to reduce MI to 20/3 after they opted to bat. But Tilak Varma weathered the storm and slammed three sixes and five fours en route to his 65. He got fine support from Nehal Wadehera (49 from 24 balls) as the duo put on 99 runs from 52 balls for the fifth wicket. Sharma then returned to take three more wickets to complete his five-for.
