IPL 2021: RR vs MI – Stats and numbers as Mumbai Indians end Royals' playoff hopes

What's up with Jimmy Neesham, IPL and UAE?

With his appearance tonight, Kiwi all-rounder Jimmy Neesham has featured in each of the three IPL seasons held in UAE (2014, 2020, and 2021). What's absolutely ridiculous is that he has played just two matches in India.

Hitman shines bright

Chasing a low total, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma gave the side plenty of ammunition upfront to help the Net Run Rate cause. Hitman smashed a 13-ball 22 which included a boundary and two sixes. With the help of his sixes tonight, Rohit Sharma became the first Indian batter to reach 400 sixes in T20 cricket.

Rohit Sharma also plundered 14 runs of the opening over – the most he has scored in the first over of an IPL innings!

Unwanted stats for Rajasthan Royals

Over the course of the game, Rajasthan Royals scripted several unwanted firsts. They became the first IPL to have batted all 20 overs but to set a target so low that it got chased inside the first 10 overs by the opponent.

They also became the first IPL team to lose a match by more than 10 overs twice! Prior to this game, they had also suffered a humongous defeat at the hands of Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011. Funnily enough, the games set 10 years apart were the second-last matches of the league stage of the competition.

In the middle, Rajasthan Royals also went 79 deliveries without hitting a single boundary. That is the longest drought for any first innings in the history of the Indian Premier League and the third most for any IPL innings!

Dominant Mumbai Indians performance

The record IPL title-holders and the defending champions became the first team to chase a target within 10 overs twice in the history of the competition. They had also done the same against Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural season in 2008 where they chased down 68 in just 5.3 overs.

Mumbai Indians also scored 56 runs in the Powerplay against Rajasthan Royals. Funnily enough, they have achieved that score exactly thrice in IPL 2021 and all of them have come on UAE soil!

Mumbai Indians star pacer Jasprit Bumrah was also on top form tonight. He bowled 18 dot balls in his four over spell – the most he has bowled in any IPL match in his illustrious career!