Rajasthan Royals have put an end to Mumbai Indians’ three-match winning streak to extend their own to the same number of games. After defeating Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings in back-to-back matches, RR have now clinched a 7-wicket victory over MI at the Wankhede Stadium.

The league race has now gathered steam as Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings have qualified for the playoffs and only two spots in the elite club are up for grabs. And including the third-placed KXIP, three teams are now on the same number of points (12) while RR have MI breathing down their neck at no. six with 10 points.

A win for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the next game against KXIP will make the contest more interesting as they will also join the ten-point club alongside MI.

The clash between MI and RR started with the latter inviting the home-team to bat first. Mumbai displayed a batting performance similar to any of that of any of the game they have lost previously –a good start from the openers, an unproductive innings from skipper Rohit Sharma, a collapse in the middle-order, and then one of the Pandya brothers rescuing the team. All of it was there followed by an unimpressive batting display.

MI openers, Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis scored 38 and 60 runs, respectively. Then Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes struck twice each with Dhawal Kulkarni and Jaydev Unadkat picking up a wicket each in the middle.

Hardik Pandya, however, tried turn things around with innings of 36 runs and got out in the penultimate over after providing a fighting total to his team. He also tried to help the team by taking two scalps while bowling but the hapless all-rounder leaked 52 runs in 4 overs which eventually helped RR finish off the game with two overs remaining.

After Jasprit Bumrah drew first blood by dismissing D’Arcy Short for 4 runs, Jos Buttler once again took the onus himself to keep RR’s season hopes alive. He shared a 95-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane and then formed another 61-run stand with Sanju Samson. Both the partnerships were broken by Hardik and saw the English batsman contribute the lion’s share.

Buttler’s unbeaten innings of 94 – backed by two crucial knocks from Rahane and Samson, who made 37 and 26 runs respectively – took RR past the finishing line as overtaken the men led by Rohit Sharma in the fifth place.

RR still have a tough schedule ahead, as they have to face Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the next two games. MI have two must-win games, the first one against Kings XI Punjab and the next one against already-eliminated Delhi Daredevils.