IPL 2022: Jos Buttler Scores 100; Bumrah & Mills Picks 3 Each as Royals Get 193

Jos Buttler hit 11 fours and five sixes during his century against Mumbai Indians.

Jos Buttler celebrates his century 

Image: BCCI

Jos Buttler scored a smashing century at the top of the order and had some able support from captain Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer as the Rajasthan Royals posted a competitive 193/8. Buttler smashed 11 fours and five sixes during his knock.

But while Buttler was in hot form, Mumbai Indians' ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah too was on fire, picking 3/17 and Tymal Mills bagged three wickets too as they were able to restrict the Royals to below 200.

Batting first, Rajasthan needed a solid start with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler at the top of the order. But 13 runs into the game, Jaiswal departed as Jasprit Bumrah had his number, and just at the end of the powerplay, Devdutt Padikkal was packed off for 7 by Tymal Mills, caught by Rohit Sharma at cover while looking for the big shot.

Buttler at the other end though was playing his shots quite freely and was joined by Sanju Samson, with the duo looking to add momentum and keep it steady as well in the middle overs. Buttler was particularly severe on Basil Thampi, smashing him for 26 runs in one over in the powerplay.

Samson and Buttler dug in, scoring with quite a bit of ease as Mumbai’s bowlers failed to apply the brakes on them. Neither were shy of stepping down the track to the bowlers, nor were they about to hold back if it was pitched a little short as they found the boundaries with a fair amount of regularity.

The Royals were hurtling along with the score at 87/2 at the midway stage, after which the next three overs produced another 36. And just as the century stand was approaching for the duo, it was Samson who was dismissed, yet again looking to clear the ropes of Kieron Pollard. He was caught at mid-wicket by Tilak Verma for 30 of 21 deliveries. Samson and Buttler had put on 85 of 50 balls, to lay the platform for a strong finish.

A quiet few deliveries followed after the wicket, before Shimron Hetmyer took on Pollard in the 17^th over and scored 26 runs off it, with two huge sixes and three boundaries to help push the score towards 170. Mills was given the same treatment in the next over from the southpaw to start with before the bowler brought things back and kept it down to only 12 in the over.

Off the next over, Buttler completed his century of 66 balls before Bumrah castled Hetmyer for 35 of 14 deliveries of the next ball. A few deliveries later, Buttler was knocked over by Bumrah for 100, as the Royals were quickly losing momentum at a crucial stage. And the 19^th over finished with R Ashwin being runout, the third RR wicket to fall in Bumrah’s final over.

The Royals added 8 more to the cause but lost two more wickets to Mills in the final over, as the hopes of a 200+ score faded away and they finished with 193.