The one-sided clash between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians on April 7 featured several standout performances from the RR camp that didn’t go unnoticed. The innings was driven by young stars Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose attacking approach powered RR to 150 in a rain-curtailed 11-over contest.
They followed it up with an equally disciplined effort with the ball. The bowling unit, led by Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma, kept Mumbai Indians in check and restricted them to 123 for nine, sealing a comfortable win.
Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise on Jaiswal for his commanding knock against a seasoned Mumbai Indians attack led by Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin was impressed by the way Jaiswal took control of the innings, even backing him as a strong contender for the Orange Cap this season after his unbeaten 77 off just 32 balls shifted the momentum firmly in Rajasthan Royals’ favour.
“Yashasvi Jaiswal is a strong contender to win the Orange Cap with a good strike rate this time. I will also put Shubman Gill in the same line, but he has obviously missed one game, so Yashasvi Jaiswal has a slightly better chance,” said Ashwin.
Jaiswal’s ability to aggressively approach the powerplay and anchor the innings saw him smash 10 fours and 4 sixes against MI. He has become the backbone of RR batting this season, with 170 runs in just three matches, striking over 160 and currently leading the Orange Cap.
“Sandeep Sharma very close Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar”
Ashwin also highlighted the growing influence of often underrated Sandeep Shamra. His impressive spell of 2 for 26 against MI, including the wicket of Rohit Sharma, caught the eye. This was the 6th time Sandeep got the better of Rohit in the IPL.
Ashwin said, “There is a huge difference between Sandeep Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. But the best three Indian fast bowlers in the IPL are Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Sandeep Sharma. Sandeep Sharma is very close to them. He swings the new ball, has the knuckleball, and Rajasthan Royals back him at the death too, because he has the character. He is not flamboyant or bowls at 140 kph, but is effective.”
“He once again took Rohit Sharma’s wicket. No matter how much we praise him, it will be less. Poor guy had been signed at his base price when I was in Rajasthan. He has bowled brilliantly and is the No. 1 in the five-man bowling attack,” added Ashwin.
Sandeep remains one of the most consistent Indian bowlers in IPL history, boasting 149 wickets in 140 matches at an impressive economy of around 8. His discipline with the ball brings balance to the side in crunch moments.
