An uncharacteristic and rare blip from Jasprit Bumrah exposed Mumbai Indians to a threat they had anticipated even before the game. Captain Hardik Pandya admitted as much after the match, calling it “fascinating” that a 15-year-old was at the centre of pre-game planning. The youngster, however, lived up to the billing.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi unleashed mayhem in the rain-curtailed clash in Guwahati, smashing 39 off just 14 balls. That included a brief yet eye-catching face-off with Bumrah, whom he struck for two sixes in five deliveries.
The high-profile duel unfolded in the second over. Bumrah — arguably the finest T20 bowler of his generation — against a teenager yet to make his India debut but already earning comparisons with greats like Sachin Tendulkar.
Mumbai had their plans in place for Sooryavanshi, but Bumrah erred with the very first ball. It wasn’t the hard length he typically relies on in the powerplay, nor the short ball to test the batter. Instead, it was a leg-stump half-volley at 131.2 kph — right in the slot. A rare miss.
Sooryavanshi didn’t hesitate. He launched it over long-on for six.
Bumrah corrected his length immediately, delivering a slower ball with no width, and Sooryavanshi settled for a single, an unusual restraint. But back on strike the very next ball, the teenager pounced again.
A short delivery angling into his body was met with a swift rock-back and swivel, dispatched over backward square leg for another six, a shot that underlined both instinct and execution.
The remaining deliveries produced dot balls, but the damage had already been done.
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene admitted the team had anticipated the threat, but poor execution cost them.
“We knew his talent from last year. We had controlled him then. But Bumrah probably missed his length slightly, and he was ready for it. He really took our bowlers down,” Jayawardene said after the match.
Yashasvi Jaiswal the real tormentor
Sooryavanshi’s 14-ball 39 helped Rajasthan soar to 80 runs inside the first five overs, and despite the massive chatter around the Boss Baby, and deservingly so, Jayawardene reckoned it was the other 40 runs in the partnership that caused maximum damage to the Mumbai Indians.
“Don’t forget Jaiswal — the way he batted in the first three overs. He played some outstanding shots and batted through the innings,” he said.
Jaiswal scored that 40 in 16 balls, which included a 22-run first over against Deepak Chahar and a similar against Trent Boult in the third over. That included four sixes, three against the left-armer, and four boundaries against Chahar.
Rajasthan raced to 89 in the first six overs, with Jaiswal contributing exactly half — 45 runs off just 18 balls. Even as wickets fell around him, he anchored the innings smartly, adding 22 off the next 14 balls to finish unbeaten on 77, guiding the team to a match-winning 150 for three.
According to ESPN’s match metrics, Jaiswal registered an Impact Score of 79.12, comfortably ahead of Sooryavanshi’s 44.5 — underlining his decisive role.
This was also his second consecutive fifty, following a 55 against Gujarat Titans. While he had allowed Sooryavanshi to dominate in the previous game, this time Jaiswal took charge, proving he can match the tempo of the teenage sensation.
