NEW DELHI: On a day when all eyes were on two explosive openers – Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Mumbai Indians veteran Rohit Sharma – both batters failed to deliver at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.After Mumbai Indians opted to bowl first, Rajasthan Royals suffered an early blow as Sooryavanshi departed for just four runs. Deepak Chahar provided the breakthrough, silencing the hype around the teenager in the must-win clash.The Wankhede crowd then waited for Rohit Sharma to respond with a trademark attacking knock, but the MI opener fell for a duck.After playing three dot balls, Rohit was dismissed by Jofra Archer in the opening over of Mumbai Indians’ innings.Archer bowled a full delivery around off that shaped away late. Rohit played down the wrong line, managed an outside edge, and Dhruv Jurel completed a sharp catch behind the stumps.The Wankhede crowd fell silent after Rohit’s dismissal.Rohit has featured in nine matches this season and scored 283 runs at an average of 35.37 while striking at 157.22.Archer, Jadeja power RR past 200Despite top-order failures, Rajasthan Royals managed to post 205 for eight on a batting-friendly surface, thanks to late fireworks from Jofra Archer and Ravindra Jadeja.Archer smashed 32 off just 15 balls, including three sixes and a four, while Jadeja remained unbeaten on 19 off 11 deliveries.The duo helped RR collect 73 runs in the final five overs to revive the innings after their specialist batters struggled to capitalise.With a playoff spot on the line, Rajasthan Royals needed a strong finish and Archer-Jadeja ensured the side crossed the 200-run mark.Sooryavanshi falls early despite positive startThe spotlight before the game was firmly on the explosive opening pair of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal.While Sooryavanshi fell cheaply, Jaiswal looked promising during his brief stay before being deceived by Will Jacks.Interestingly, Sooryavanshi nearly began with a six. Attempting a big hit off the very first ball from Deepak Chahar, the youngster connected sweetly, but Will Jacks produced a sensational effort near the boundary ropes at deep extra cover to pull the ball back and save crucial runs.
