First was a century opening stand, and then came a dazzling partnership of 94* off 44 between Suryakumar and Hardik

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-20254:31

‘MI haven’t figured out their powerplay attack’

Mumbai Indians (MI) came to Jaipur having not won there since 2012. They must not have liked that very much because they now have the joint-highest total at the ground in IPL.There were fifties from Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton that set up a platform. Their partnership broke at a good time for MI because it still left 8.1 overs for Suryakumar Yadav to have an influence. His team had set him up with a platform – 116 runs were already on the board – so he wasted no time. Suryakumar attacked six of the first seven balls he faced. The one he didn’t was one he couldn’t. It was wide, a mistake that he invites from the bowlers as they try to keep it off his hitting arc.Suryakumar finished with 48 not out, an IPL record considering it was his 11th consecutive score of 25 or more. In an innings full of intent – he tried to hit a boundary off every other ball he faced – 13 attempts in 23 deliveries – there was always going to be jaw-dropping moments and one of those happened in the 19th over when he nailed a full-speed Jofra Archer attempted yorker which became a full toss for four over short fine. He was rolling around on the floor, bat falling out of his hands, but he’d done the job.At the other end, Hardik Pandya was just as destructive. His methods involve staying deep in the crease and exploiting the balls that miss the blockhole. Rohit is looking more and more like his old self. He had his timing. He was moving around the crease, manipulating both the field and the bowlers whether there was pace on or pace off. Rickelton, though, was the one who started it all off. RR tried to cramp him up and force him to hit to the longer leg-side boundary and he took on the challenge. Thirty-four of his first 51 runs came on the leg side because he was so good playing the short-arm pull shot and holding his shape against the slower balls.