DEBUTANT Jofra Archer starred with both the ball and the bat as Rajasthan Royals beat struggling defending Indian Premier League champions Mumbai Indians by three wickets.

Archer’s death bowling (3-22) kept the Royals in contention after Suryakumar Yadav (72) and Ishan Kishan (58) mustered a partnership of 129 for Mumbai, but the hosts were soon in trouble with the bat in Jaipur.

Chasing a target of 168, Rajasthan were 125-6 with under three overs remaining – despite Sanju Samson’s 52 – but then Archer and Krishnappa Gowtham (33 not out) began finding the boundary.
Archer only made eight, but he ran well between the wickets and helped to turn the tide as Gowtham hit six boundaries, including the maximum that sealed victory with two balls remaining.

MIXED MUMBAI START
Evin Lewis’ tournament has been a mixed affair so far and the West Indies big-hitter went for the first of three golden ducks in a bizarre Mumbai innings.
Suryakumar and Kishan stepped into the breach to carry the Indians to 130 with three sixes each, before the latter fell as he failed to ramp a ball over Jos Buttler.

That marked the start of a Mumbai collapse, with Suryakumar gone in the next over and captain Rohit Sharma following two balls later as he ran himself out.
The Indians still – in theory – had time to wrack up a handy score, but their momentum was checked by Archer in the 19th over.

He removed Krunal Pandya (7) with the first ball, the batsman slogging to Heinrich Klaasen, and better was to come.

Hardik Pandya responded with a four, but he quickly followed his brother when Archer battered a ball against his pads and then onto the wickets, before Mitchell McClenaghan went with the next ball as a yorker struck middle stump.

GOWTHAM GETS ROYALS THROUGH
The Royals’ run rate was initially a little slow in response, however, even as Samson and Ben Stokes (40) struck up a partnership of 72 and Mumbai took their time to make progress with the ball.

When Hardik Pandya crashed a yorker into Stokes’ leg stump, the wickets started falling with some regularity – Jasprit Bumrah removing Samson and Buttler (6) in consecutive balls – and Rajasthan’s challenge looked to be quickly fading.

Requiring 43 from 17 balls, Archer and Gowtham spectacularly delivered to earn the Royals’ third win as the Indians – on one win – were left to reflect on another defeat.